Opinion ID: 2425408
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Exclusion of the expert

Text: Arkansas Rules of Evidence 615 provides: Exclusion of witnesses.At the request of a party the court shall order witnesses excluded so that they cannot hear the testimony of other witnesses, and it may make the order of its own motion. This rule does not authorize exclusion of (1) a party who is a natural person, or (2) an officer or employee of a party that is not a natural person designated as its representative by its attorney, or (3) a person whose presence is shown by a party to be essential to the presentation of his cause. The Parkers argue that exclusion of their expert accident reconstructionist was error because he was a person falling into the third category of those not authorized for exclusion. We cannot agree. The expert in this case had prepared his testimony concerning the speed of the Holder vehicle prior to trial based on his review of depositions and other documentary evidence. He testified that the condition of the road surface affected his calculations as to how the accident happened. There was evidence that the road had been resurfaced between the time of the accident and the time he made his calculations. He was forced to admit that his original calculations would be incorrect were the surface not the same at the time he made them as it had been at the time of the accident. Rulings dealing with the exemptions from this Rule are within a trial court's discretion. City of Crossett v. Pacific Bldg., Inc., 298 Ark. 520, 769 S.W.2d 730 (1989); Blaylock v. Strecker, 291 Ark. 340, 724 S.W.2d 470 (1987). We are unable to find any indication that the expert for the Parkers intended initially to base his opinion on the testimony of other witnesses heard in the courtroom. There was no testimony from other witnesses which could not have been given to Mr. Atkinson in the form of hypotheses for his consideration on the witness stand. He did, in fact, alter his testimony when it was suggested the highway had been resurfaced. In the absence of a showing of some prejudice, the exclusion of the witness was not an abuse of discretion. As for their argument that Mr. Atkinson was needed for rebuttal of Ms. Holder's testimony, there was nothing to rebut. Ms. Holder admitted driving in excess of the maximum 55 miles per hour limit at all critical times. She did not deny allegations with respect to the condition of the road or the way the collision occurred. The Trial Court did not err in excluding Mr. Atkinson from the courtroom during the trial. Reversed and remanded. DUDLEY, CORBIN, and BROWN, JJ., dissent.