Court Opinion

ID: 9854438
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 06:07:42.082094+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:23:04.989505
License: Public Domain

*415Justice WEBB
dissenting.
I dissent from the majority. I do not believe the testimony by Mr. Navarro that his fingerprint identification was verified by another latent examiner was a fact or datum upon which he relied in forming his opinion. As I read the testimony, Mr. Navarro formed his opinion and then gave the materials to another examiner who formed his opinion. The witness’ testimony as to the opinion of the second examiner should have been excluded as hearsay testimony.
In the cases cited by the majority, the experts were allowed to testify to matters upon which they based their opinions. Not one of them testified that after he had formed an opinion, the opinion was verified by another expert. The majority says that it is clear that “without verification of his own opinion by another examiner the witness could not have arrived at, and testified to, a final conclusion regarding the fingerprint.” This may be true. I do not believe it follows that the opinion of the other examiner forms a part of the basis for the witness’ opinion. The witness had formed his opinion at the time the verification was made. The verification may have made him more confident that he was right but he did not form his opinion based on the verification.
I vote for a new trial.