Opinion ID: 1751399
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Admission of expert opinion going to the ultimate issue for the jury.

Text: At trial the State questioned Officer Jennings regarding evidence of drug trafficking. The State asked Officer Jennings, based on his training and experience, whether possession of fifteen bags of rocks of crack cocaine, a semi-automatic handgun, and a pepper and crack cocaine mixture was consistent with crack cocaine dealing in the Waterloo area. Over Goodson's objections, Officer Jennings testified that this evidence was consistent with their use by someone who is engaged in trafficking cocaine. Goodson claims the trial court erred in admitting this testimony, which he believes goes to the ultimate issue in the case, that of his guilt or innocence, and invades the province of the jury. The State argues this question is a general opinion of modus operandi, and Officer Jennings' answer did not address an opinion of Goodson's guilt or innocence. At trial Goodson objected on the grounds that the questions asked were hypothetical and were unsupported by the facts in the case. We believe that the objections were insufficient to apprise the district court of any valid ground for excluding Officer Jennings' opinion. State v. Horton, 231 N.W.2d 36, 38 (Iowa 1975). The defendant may not announce an objection at trial and on appeal rely on a different objection to challenge an adverse ruling. Id.; see also State v. Taylor, 310 N.W.2d 174, 177 (Iowa 1981). We therefore find that issue was not properly preserved for appellate review.