Court Opinion

ID: 9584343
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:47:07.399827+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:07:36.836815
License: Public Domain

Sognier, Judge,
dissenting.
1. I respectfully dissent from Division'2 of the majority opinion. I agree that one who makes no claim to be an expert is not disqualified from expressing an opinion if the court finds him to be an expert, or possessing expertise or special knowledge, in certain fields. Code Ann. § 38-1708; Glover v. State, 129 Ga. 717, 724 (9) (59 SE 816) (1907); Thornton v. Gaillard, 111 Ga. App. 371, 372 (2) (141 SE2d 771) (1965).
One who qualifies as an expert does so on the basis of his training, education and experience. Once his qualifications are established, an expert need not give the facts upon which his opinion is based. Lewis v. State Hwy. Dept., 110 Ga. App. 845, 847 (2) (140 SE2d 109) (1964). However, a non-expert (lay) witness can only give opinion testimony when he gives sufficient facts to show the basis of his opinion. Code Ann. § 38-1708; Spencer v. State, 236 Ga. 697, 700 (4) (c) (224 SE2d 910) (1976). This is the fundamental difference between the opinions of experts and lay witnesses.
In the instant case no foundation was laid to support a finding that the police officer was an expert in identifying hashish or that he was a narcotics expert, although such a determination rests primarily in the sound discretion of the court. Rouse v. Fussell, 106 Ga. App. 259, 262 (126 SE2d 830) (1962). If he was a non-expert, the facts upon which his opinion or conclusion was based were not stated, and thus his opinion that the clump of brown material was “suspected hashish” (later changed to “hashish”) was not admissible. Spencer, supra. Hence, I cannot agree that there was sufficient evidence to sustain the revocation of appellant’s probation on this ground.
*82I am fully aware that only slight evidence is necessary to support revocation of probation, Jones v. State, 153 Ga. App. 411, 412 (265 SE2d 334) (1980), but in my opinion, we have no evidence to support the revocation of probation for possession of hashish.
2. I concur in Divisions 1 arid 3 of the majority opinion.
I am authorized to state that Judge Carley joins in this dissent.