Opinion ID: 884671
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 15

Heading: issues

Text: ¶ 98 Did the District Court err in admitting expert testimony regarding blood alcohol levels? ¶ 99 Ingraham argues the District Court erred in permitting State forensic scientist Lynn Kurtz to testify on rebuttal as to the number of drinks Ingraham would have had to consume to reach the BACs later tested, and as to Ingraham's specific BAC level at the time of the accident. Ingraham argues that because Kurtz acknowledged during the State's case-in-chief that he could not specifically determine Ingraham's BAC at the time of the accident, the court erred in permitting him to do exactly what he ... had agreed could not be done, and testify during rebuttal as to Ingraham's specific BAC at the time of the accident. More specifically, Ingraham argues the court erred in permitting Mr. Kurtz to speculate that defendant's blood alcohol level, tested at .07 at 4:12 a.m., was higher than .10 at the time of the accident, and asserts Kurtz's opinion was dependent upon a number of unspecific factors and unsupported by his earlier testimony. ¶ 100 The State, in response, notes that Kurtz agreed on direct examination that he could not estimate Ingraham's BAC at the time of the accident without certain additional information. Once it had succeeded in getting the missing information into the record, the State asserts, Kurtz was then entitled to rely on a shortened version of the Widmark formula to estimate what Ingraham's BAC would have been at the time of the accident, were he to have consumed the number of drinks to which he testified. The State additionally argues Kurtz was entitled to estimate that Ingraham would have had to consume sixteen Bud Lights to reach the BAC of .07 indicated by the 4:12 a.m. blood test. ¶ 101 We review a district court's evidentiary ruling for an abuse of discretion. State v. Gollehon (1993), 262 Mont. 293, 301, 864 P.2d 1257, 1263. ¶ 102 During the State's case-in-chief, Kurtz indeed agreed that he did not know what Ingraham's BAC was at the time of the accident. As illustrated by the following exchange on redirect, however, Kurtz testified that, were there additional facts in the record, he could more accurately estimate what Ingraham's BAC might have been at the time of the accident: Q (County Attorney): And the same thing with the Defendant having a .077 BAC at the time he's tested at 4:12. We don't know where he was, based upon the information that we have right now at the time of the wreck; isn't that correct? A (Kurtz): That's also correct. Q: Now, if we had the information concerning what he had in his stomach, the number of drinks that he alleges he had, the types of drinks he alleges he had, you stated that you can make some assumption concerning body water content, during direct examination, food type, food quality. [If t]hat information was provided to us and put into evidence, do you think that you can make an educated guess, within a reasonable degree of scientific certainty or probability, as to what his BAC could have been at the time of the wreck? A: I could more fully demonstrate the potential BACs at the time of the incident, given that extra information. Q: Which is not in the record as of yet, to your knowledge. A: To my knowledge, no. ¶ 103 Following Kurtz's initial testimony, much of the information upon which Kurtz explained an estimate of Ingraham's BAC at the time of the accident depended, entered the record. For example, Ingraham testified as to the number and type of alcoholic beverages he consumed in the hours preceding the accident, and described the food he consumed over the course of the evening. Moreover, he agreed that the weight reflected on his driver's license might be accurate at 170 pounds. ¶ 104 Although Ingraham argues it was error for the court to permit Kurtz to testify that Ingraham's BAC was greater than .10 at the time of the accident, a close review of Kurtz's testimony on rebuttal indicates he actually made no such statement. The transcript indicates that the State, on rebuttal, asked Kurtz to assume that Ingraham's eating and drinking history on the night of the accident was as reflected in his testimony. The State additionally asked Kurtz to assume Ingraham weighed 170 pounds. In response to the State's hypothetical question, Kurtz stated he would have expected to see a BAC of only .018 at 4:15 a.m. Kurtz also testified that, for Ingraham's BAC to reach .077 by 4:12 a.m., he would have had to consume approximately 16 drinks. ¶ 105 Review of the transcript indicates that, by the time the defense rested, the record contained evidence of those factors identified by Kurtz as necessary in order for him to estimate the number of drinks Ingraham would have had to consume to reach a BAC of .077 by 4:12 a.m., and to estimate Ingraham's BAC at the time of the accident. Although Ingraham takes issue with the shorthand version of the Widmark formula upon which Kurtz relied while testifying, the record indicates that a number of professionals in Kurtz's field rely upon the same formula. Moreover, we note that Kurtz offered an in-depth explanation of his formula for the jury's consideration, and that Ingraham's counsel extensively cross-examined Kurtz on his shortened formula. Based on the foregoing, and having reviewed the record, we conclude the District Court did not abuse its discretion in permitting Kurtz to estimate the number of drinks that Ingraham would have had to consume on the night of the accident and to estimate Ingraham's BAC level at the time of the accident.