Opinion ID: 1288891
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: Autopsy reports of other SIDS deaths

Text: The State's medical expert, Dr. Ophoven, testified she examined the autopsy reports of all SIDS deaths that occurred under one year of age in South Carolina since 1993. These 274 autopsy reports were marked as State's exhibits for identification during Dr. Ophoven's testimony along with a chart summarizing them. Dr. Ophoven testified that none of these autopsy reports noted petechial hemorrhages of the brain which are considered medical abnormalities that would ordinarily be documented in the course of an autopsy. She testified that the autopsies of Parker Colson and Ashlan Daniel were the only two in which such abnormalities were found, confirming her earlier observation that petechial hemorrhages do not occur in a SIDS death. Appellant contends evidence concerning the autopsy reports of these other SIDS deaths was irrelevant, was inadmissible hearsay, and violated her confrontation rights. Evidence is relevant if it tends to make the existence of any fact at issue more or less probable. State v. Frazier, 357 S.C. 161, 592 S.E.2d 621 (2004); Rule 404, SCRE. Here, medical testimony created an issue regarding the significance of petechial hemorrhages in determining the cause of death of the two infants. The fact that autopsies of SIDS deaths did not note this type of brain abnormality was relevant in distinguishing a SIDS case from a traumatic death. Further, autopsy reports are not hearsay under Rule 803, SCRE. Subsection (8) of this rule excepts from hearsay public records and reports containing matters there is a duty to report. Autopsies are required in cases of SIDS if law enforcement deems it necessary. S.C.Code Ann. § 17-5-540 (2003) and § 20-7-5915 (Supp.2004). Additionally, subsection (9) of Rule 803 specifically exempts from hearsay records of vital statistics, including reports ... of ... deaths ... if the report thereof was made to a public office pursuant to requirements of law. Autopsy reports are required to be kept by the medical examiner's office. S.C.Code Ann. § 17-5-280 (2003). Accordingly, an autopsy report is not inadmissible hearsay. In addition, Rule 703, SCRE, specifically provides: The facts or data in the particular case upon which an expert bases an opinion or inference may be those perceived by or made known to the expert at or before the hearing. If of a type reasonably relied upon by experts in the particular field in forming opinions or inferences upon the subject, the facts or data need not be admissible in evidence. We conclude evidence of the autopsy reports was admissible under the Rules of Evidence. Finally, in Crawford v. Washington, 541 U.S. 36, 54, 124 S.Ct. 1354, 158 L.Ed.2d 177 (2004), the United States Supreme Court noted the hearsay exception for business records and observed that business records are not testimonial and therefore do not implicate the Confrontation Clause. A public record, very much like a business record, is not testimonial and its admission similarly does not violate the defendant's confrontation rights. Moreover, appellant was able to cross-examine Dr. Ophoven regarding the possible inaccuracies in these autopsy reports and presented extensive expert testimony reinterpreting the significance of their findings. [7] We find appellant's confrontation rights were not infringed. We hold the trial judge did not err in allowing Dr. Ophoven's testimony regarding the autopsies of other deaths.