Opinion ID: 1472552
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: videotape of the crime scene

Text: A videotape of the crime scene was introduced pursuant to the testimony of Detective Partin. During the playing of the videotape, Partin commented on the images being displayed. Additionally, the videotape shows images of the victim. There was no objection to the playing of the videotape, nor was there any objection to Partin's commentary. Prior to the playing of the videotape, the following exchange between Partin and the Commonwealth's Attorney (CA) occurred: CA: During your state police training, have you been trained in the science of understanding blood patterns? Partin: Yes sir. CA: In doing so, are blood spatters part of the training? Partin: Yes sir. CA: Explain to the jury what that is. Partin: Blood spatter training is when you look at the pattern of blood on an object and being able to see how that pattern may have gotten there. For instance, in a lot of stabbing cases, for instance, if someone is stabbing someone they would bring the knife back this way, blood would be in like a streak, a dotted streak. That's called cast off. Other type of spatters would be like swabs of hairhair type imprints against ... walls, that type of thing. Blood drops would be able to tell ... whether this was a drop coming straight down or [were] drops coming from a moving object. Mills argues that this testimony was insufficient to establish Partin's qualifications as an expert witness in blood spatter evidence. We note that defense counsel did not object to Partin's qualifications as an expert witness. While the trial court did not expressly recognize Partin as an expert witness, by allowing Partin to testify concerning blood spatter evidence, the trial court ruled by implication that Partin was so qualified. Guyther v. Nationwide Mutual Fire Insurance Company, 109 N.C.App. 506, 428 S.E.2d 238, 243 (1993). While we believe that Partin was qualified to render expert testimony on blood spatter evidence, assuming arguendo that Mills is correct, the error was harmless. Partin referred to blood spatter evidence only once during the narrative of the videotape. Referring to blood spots seen on a wall in a particular room, Partin concluded that Phipps was attacked in this room with a knife. This conclusion was based on his interpretation of the blood spots, which he characterized as being cast off. There was no dispute that Phipps was stabbed repeatedly. Given all the other evidence linking Mills to the murder and to the house, testimony that Phipps was stabbed with a knife in a particular room hardly could have been prejudicial to Mills' case. The rest of Partin's testimony in connection with the narration of the videotape did not rely on any blood spatter expertise. Rather, it is based on Partin's own personal observations and perceptions of the crime scene. Thus, we examine the rest of the challenged testimony to determine whether it was proper lay testimony. On appeal, Mills argues that Partin improperly speculated that the video showed: (1) where three different attacks occurred; (2) where the first attack occurred; (3) where Mills took something from a vase; (4) where Mills left a boot print on a door; and (5) that a particular wood chip came from a certain hoe handle. Mills argues that these allegedly improper speculations invaded the province of the jury and, further, only served to inflame the jury. Because there was no objection to this testimony, we review these allegations of error pursuant to Sanders, supra . KRE 701 states: If the witness is not testifying as an expert, the witness' testimony in the form of opinions or inferences is limited to those opinions or inferences which are: (a) Rationally based on the perception of the witness; and (b) Helpful to a clear understanding of the witness' testimony or the determination of a fact in issue. However, KRE 701 must be read in conjunction with KRE 602, which limits a lay witness's testimony to matters to which he has personal knowledge. Initially, we note that Mills' suggestion on appeal that Partin identified him, by name, in the challenged testimony is not supported by the record. During his commentary of the videotape, Partin never referred to Mills by name as the person who attacked Phipps, as the person who left a boot print on the door, or who took something from a vase. Rather, Partin, who examined the crime scene and was present when the videotape was made, testified to the locations where Phipps was attacked, without naming the attacker. With the exception of the brief reference to blood spatter evidence outlined above, Partin's testimony as to the location of where the attacks occurred was rationally based on his perceptions of the crime scene, e.g., the pooling and the amount of blood evidenced on the videotape. Nor did Partin state that Mills took something out of a vase. Rather, Partin testified merely that hewithout any reference to the pronountook something from a vase. As to Partin's testimony regarding the boot print, Partin testified that a dry boot print could be seen on a door in response to a question concerning how the door was forced open. Finally, in pointing out the wood chip seen on the videotape, Partin stated that it probably came from a hoe handle, which was previously introduced into evidence and was physically in front of him at the time. On review of the challenged testimony, we conclude that it comprised opinions and inferences that were rationally based on Partin's own perceptions of which he had personal knowledge. Further, we conclude the testimony was helpful to the jury in evaluating the images displayed on the videotape. Thus, we conclude that the challenged testimony did not violate the limitations of KRE 701 and KRE 602. The challenged portion of Partin's testimony was not in error. Next, Mills argues that the display of Phipps's body should have been excluded because its probative value was substantially outweighed by the danger of undue prejudice. KRE 403. Upon review of the tape, we conclude that the videotape evidence does not fall outside of the broad category of photographs which we have found admissible under a liberal approach recognized in Gall v. Commonwealth, Ky., 607 S.W.2d 97, 106 (1980), and continued through Wager v. Commonwealth, Ky., 751 S.W.2d 28, 31 (1988). Milburn v. Commonwealth, Ky., 788 S.W.2d 253, 257 (1989). There was no error.