Opinion ID: 1577692
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 38

Heading: Detective Stevens

Text: Appellant also challenges the admissibility of testimony from Detective Stevens about blood evidence. Defense counsel called Detective Stevens to testify about Horton's bedclothes and to explain why they had not been submitted for scientific testing. Stevens explained that a cut-out portion of the sheet was tested. On cross-examination, the Commonwealth asked Stevens whether the perpetrator's blood could have been detected on the sheets in light of the high volume of Horton's blood. Defense counsel objected, claiming that Stevens was not qualified to give opinion testimony concerning scientific blood testing. The trial court overruled the objection and allowed Stevens to answer. He explained that, given his experience in crime scene investigation, testing would not be fruitful because so much of Horton's blood was present on the sheets. Detective Stevens, a twenty-two year veteran of the Kentucky State Police who had also worked four years in the crime lab, was qualified to answer this question. He did not testify to the scientific process of blood examination. Cf. Mondie v. Commonwealth, 158 S.W.3d 203, 213 (Ky.2005). Rather, his response was limited to an explanation for his own actions at the crime scene and his motivations for such actions. As an experienced detective, Stevens was certainly qualified to testify about what type of evidence is collected at a crime scene and why. See Bush v. Commonwealth, 839 S.W.2d 550, 555 (Ky.1992). There was no error.