Opinion ID: 2088405
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Chain of evidence.

Text: Among the real evidence admitted at the defendant's trial were three objects: Exhibit 1, a toolmarked coin return container from a jukebox; Exhibit 4, the brown satchel found in the motel room; and Exhibit 5, a pry bar. Mr. Cleon W. Mauer, a toolmark identification specialist from the state crime laboratory, testified and showed the chain of custody of the three items within  the crime laboratory. On August 23, 1967, Mr. Mauer, at the crime laboratory in Madison, received Exhibit 1 from Det. Sgt. Charles Bell of the Brookfield police department. He made an initial examination of it and, then, turned it over to Dr. Thomas Richard, the lab chemist. This was done so that Dr. Richard could examine the exhibit for trace materials. Mr. Mauer received Exhibit 1 back from Dr. Richard by June Brown, his assistant. Mr. Mauer examined Exhibit 1 again and the toolmarks were in the same condition as they had been prior to the exhibit being turned over to Dr. Richard. Mr. Mauer then made his detailed examination and did his work in preparing his findings. The exhibit was in Mr. Mauer's custody until he placed it in the evidence room on October 27, 1967. It was in the evidence room until Mauer removed it and on April 16, 1968, returned it to Det. Sgt. Charles Bell. State's Exhibit 6, the crime laboratory intradepartmental evidentiary control sheet on the items submitted in this case was received in evidence and it corroborated the testimony of Mr. Mauer. The defense argued that the evidence could not be admitted at the trial because Dr. Richard was not present to testify about what he had done to them. The trial court, after determining that the toolmarks on Exhibit 1 had not been changed or affected by Dr. Richard's examination for trace materials, held that the exhibits were admissible. Defendant again argues the chain of evidence was not properly established because Dr. Richard did not testify and also because Mr. Mauer, who was not a qualified chemist, could not testify whether Dr. Richard's work has any bearing upon the item. However, defendant does not cite any cases in support of his argument. The state, in its brief, cites State v. Brady (1965), 2 Ariz. App. 210, 407 Pac. 2d 399, in support of its assertion that the trial court properly found the evidence  admissible. In that case, the defense claimed that certain fingerprint cards should not have been admitted as evidence. The cards had been made from fingerprints lifted from the scene of the crime by one police officer and then given to another officer who mailed them to the FBI in Washington, D. C. The officer who lifted the prints testified, but the officer who mailed them did not. In holding that a proper foundation was laid for the admission of the fingerprint cards, the court stated: We find the exhibits were properly identified and adequate foundation laid for their admission in evidence. An exhibit is admissible, so far as identity is concerned, where it has been identified as being the same object about which the testimony was given and when it is stated to be in the same condition as at the time of the occurrence in question, and it is not necessary to negative the possibility of an opportunity for tampering with an exhibit nor to trace its custody by placing each custodian upon the witness stand. Witt Ice & Gas Co. v. Bedway, 72 Ariz. 152, 231 P. 2d 952 (1951); State v. Price, 76 Ariz. 385, 265 P. 2d 444 (1954). State v. Brady, supra, p. 212. In this case, there is uncontroverted testimony by Mr. Mauer that the condition of the exhibits had not been altered by the examination conducted by Dr. Richard. Nor is there any unexplained or missing link with respect to who had control of the exhibits. There is no question that the evidence was in substantially the same condition at the time of Mr. Mauer's examination as when they were taken from the defendant's motel room. 29 Am. Jur. 2d, Evidence, p. 844, sec. 774. No prejudicial error was committed in allowing the exhibits to be admitted as evidence.