Court Opinion

ID: 9580193
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:03:01.4774+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:36:07.438562
License: Public Domain

Benton, J.,
concurring.
I join in the opinion except for that portion which favorably emphasizes the holding of this Court in Hubbard v. Commonwealth, 12 Va. App. 250, 403 S.E.2d 708 (1991). Although Hubbard was affirmed on appeal to the Supreme Court, see 243 Va. 1, 413 S.E.2d 875 (1992), I believe that we and the trial court must acknowledge (1) that the Supreme Court did not reach the merits of the reconstructed opinion evidence, and (2) that a separate concurring opinion “make[s] explicit that which is implicit in the opinion, that is, the Court is not endorsing the Court of Appeals’ ruling approving the use of reconstructed opinion evidence of speed in this case.” Id. at 16, 413 S.E.2d at 883.
I believe it is sufficient to say that the expert’s opinion concerning speed, rotation, and movements of the vehicle at issue in this case is prohibited by Bond v. Commonwealth, 226 Va. 534, 538, 311 S.E.2d 769, 771-72 (1984), and Grasty v. Tanner, 206 Va. 723, 726, 146 S.E.2d 252, 255 (1966). The discussion of Hubbard is best left for another day.