State v. Calise ( 2012 )

[Cite as State v. Calise, 2012-Ohio-4797.]
STATE OF OHIO ) IN THE COURT OF APPEALS
)ss: NINTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT
COUNTY OF SUMMIT )
STATE OF OHIO C.A. No. 26027
Appellee
v. APPEAL FROM JUDGMENT
ENTERED IN THE
TIFFANI D. CALISE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS
COUNTY OF SUMMIT, OHIO
Appellant CASE No. CR 10 08 2322
DECISION AND JOURNAL ENTRY
Dated: October 17, 2012
MOORE, Judge.
{¶1} Defendant-Appellant, Tiffani Calise, appeals from her convictions in the Summit
County Court of Common Pleas. This Court affirms.
I.
{¶2} Shortly before midnight on August 9, 2010, Ms. Calise called 911 and told the
dispatcher that the child she was babysitting, Aaliyah Ali, had bumped her head and was
unresponsive. Paramedics responded to the scene while Ms. Calise tried to perform CPR. When
the paramedics arrived, they found Aaliyah lying unclothed on the living room floor of the
apartment. Aaliyah was only breathing four to six times per minute and displayed decorticate
posturing, a sign of brain injury. The paramedics transferred her to Akron Children’s Hospital
where doctors scanned her brain and performed brain surgery in an attempt to reduce serious
swelling. It soon became clear, however, that even if Aaliyah survived she would remain in a
persistent, vegetative state due to the extensive brain damage she had suffered. Aaliyah’s
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mother, Gabrielle Moneypenny, ultimately decided to discontinue life support, and Aaliyah
succumbed to her injuries. At the time of her death, Aaliyah was 23 months old.
{¶3} According to Ms. Calise, Aaliyah was injured when she fell in Ms. Calise’s
bathtub. Ms. Calise told the police that she decided to bathe Aaliyah and her own daughter
sometime after she fed both girls at approximately 10:30 p.m. She bathed her daughter first
while Aaliyah watched and played. Ms. Calise then removed her daughter from the bath,
emptied the tub, and refilled it for Aaliyah. When Ms. Calise finished bathing Aaliyah, she lifted
the drain and stood Aaliyah in the tub. She then realized that she did not have a towel for
Aaliyah, so she walked out of the bathroom to get one. After she left the bathroom, Ms. Calise
heard three loud thumps. She returned to the bathroom to find Aaliyah lying unconscious in the
bathtub. At that point, she carried Aaliyah into the living room and dialed 911.
{¶4} Aaliyah’s CT scans and autopsy revealed that she had suffered a subdural
hemorrhage on the right-side of her brain, severe swelling that had caused her brain to shift out
of place, and bilateral retinal hemorrhaging. Two of the doctors who treated Aaliyah compared
her injuries to those generally observed in traumatic impact situations such as high speed motor
vehicle accidents or falls from multiple stories. The Summit County Medical Examiner
ultimately determined that Aaliyah died from complications of blunt impact trauma as a result of
shaking and ruled her death a homicide. The three doctors who evaluated Aaliyah after she came
to Akron’s Children Hospital and the Medical Examiner who performed her autopsy all
concluded that Aaliyah’s injuries were not consistent with a bathtub fall and were the result of
severe trauma.
{¶5} A grand jury indicted Ms. Calise on the following counts: (1) murder, in violation
of R.C. 2903.02(B); (2) involuntary manslaughter, in violation of R.C. 2903.04(A); and (3) two
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counts of child endangering, in violation of R.C. 2919.22(A) and 2919.22(B)(1). Both the
defense and the State consulted with expert witnesses during the discovery process. In
particular, the defense consulted with Dr. John Lloyd, a Ph.D. in ergonomics. Dr. Lloyd agreed
to conduct an experiment to determine whether a child of Aaliyah’s size could have sustained a
traumatic brain injury by slipping and falling in a bath tub.
{¶6} Dr. Lloyd’s experiment and conclusions led the State to file a motion in limine to
exclude his testimony from trial. The court conducted a Daubert hearing and also permitted the
parties to submit written arguments after the hearing. On May 16, 2011, the court issued a
written opinion in which it concluded that Dr. Lloyd would not be permitted to testify.
Specifically, the court held that (1) Dr. Lloyd’s expertise in his field did not qualify him to
render a medical opinion as to the types of medical conditions or brain injuries Aaliyah could
have sustained from a bath tub fall, and (2) the experiment Dr. Lloyd conducted did not
withstand the strictures of Daubert and Evid.R. 702.
{¶7} A jury trial commenced, at the conclusion of which the jury found Ms. Calise
guilty on all counts. On June 27, 2011, the trial court sentenced Ms. Calise to a total of fifteen
years to life in prison. Ms. Calise filed a motion for a new trial and appealed from her
convictions before the trial court ruled on her motion. This Court stayed the appeal and granted
Ms. Calise’s request to remand the matter for the purpose of permitting the trial court to rule on
her motion for a new trial. After the court denied her motion, Ms. Calise filed a motion with this
Court to supplement the record with the trial court’s ruling as well as to amend her notice of
appeal to include the ruling. This Court granted both motions by way of journal entry.
{¶8} Ms. Calise’s appeal is now before this Court. She raises nineteen assignments of
error, many of which we consolidate or rearrange for ease of analysis.
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II.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR I
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN EXCLUDING THE TESTIMONY OF DR.
JOHN LLOYD.
{¶9} In her first assignment of error, Ms. Calise argues that the trial court abused its
discretion by excluding the testimony of Dr. John Lloyd. We disagree.
{¶10} Evid.R. 702 governs the admissibility of expert testimony. Miller v. Bike Athletic
Co., 80 Ohio St.3d 607, 610 (1998). The rule provides:
A witness may testify as an expert if all of the following apply:
(A) The witness’ testimony either relates to matters beyond the knowledge or
experience possessed by lay persons or dispels a misconception common among
lay persons;
(B) The witness is qualified as an expert by specialized knowledge, skill,
experience, training, or education regarding the subject matter of the testimony;
(C) The witness’ testimony is based on reliable scientific, technical, or other
specialized information. To the extent that the testimony reports the result of a
procedure, test, or experiment, the testimony is reliable only if all of the following
apply:
(1) The theory upon which the procedure, test, or experiment is based is
objectively verifiable or is validly derived from widely accepted knowledge, facts,
or principles;
(2) The design of the procedure, test, or experiment reliably implements the
theory;
(3) The particular procedure, test, or experiment was conducted in a way that will
yield an accurate result.
Evid.R. 702. “The qualification and reliability requirements of Evid.R. 702 are distinct.
Because even a qualified expert is capable of rendering scientifically unreliable testimony, it is
imperative for a trial court, as gatekeeper, to examine the principles and methodology that
underlie an expert’s opinion.” Valentine v. Conrad, 110 Ohio St.3d 42, 2006-Ohio-3561, ¶ 17.
5
“In evaluating the reliability of scientific evidence, several factors are to be considered: (1)
whether the theory or technique has been tested, (2) whether it has been subjected to peer review,
(3) whether there is a known or potential rate of error, and (4) whether the methodology has
gained general acceptance.” Miller at 611, citing Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc.,
509 U.S. 579, 593-594 (1993). The focus must be on whether the expert’s opinion is based
“upon scientifically valid principles.” Miller at paragraph one of the syllabus. Accord State v.
Nemeth, 82 Ohio St.3d 202, 211 (1998) (“The reliability requirement in Evid.R. 702 is a
threshold determination that should focus on a particular type of scientific evidence, not the truth
or falsity of an alleged scientific fact or truth.”).
{¶11} Ms. Calise sought to have Dr. Lloyd testify as an expert in biomechanics, the
study of the application of mechanics and Newtonian principles to biological systems such as
humans. Had the court permitted Dr. Lloyd to testify, he would have opined that it was possible
for a bathtub fall to have produced the type of head injuries that Aaliyah sustained. Dr. Lloyd
reached that conclusion by conducting an experiment, which he described in detail at the
Daubert hearing.
{¶12} Dr. Lloyd purchased a porcelain bathtub from a local Home Depot and placed the
bathtub in his home laboratory. He then prepared a 22 lb. CRABI1 biofidelic mannequin for his
experiment, adding two pounds to the mannequin’s torso to approximate Aaliyah’s weight and
installing several force sensors to the mannequin’s head. Dr. Lloyd also prepared electronic
equipment to record the fall sequences that he conducted and to receive data from the force
sensors mounted inside the mannequin’s head.
{¶13} Once Dr. Lloyd placed the mannequin in the bathtub, he used an electromagnet to
hold the mannequin in a standing position. Dr. Lloyd then interrupted the power to the magnet
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to allow the mannequin to fall. Due to the fact that the mannequin had rubberized feet, however,
the mannequin did not always fall. To rectify this problem, Dr. Lloyd purchased roller skates for
the mannequin at Build-a-Bear. The roller skates added height to the mannequin, which brought
it closer to Aaliyah’s actual height. Dr. Lloyd also testified that, by using the roller skates, he
was better able to simulate a slip event in the bathtub.
{¶14} Dr. Lloyd ultimately conducted 25 data collection trials during which he allowed
the mannequin to fall from three different positions: a standing fall, a fall that occurred “while
initiating egress from [the] bathtub,” and a fall “from [the] top edge of [the] bathtub.” Dr. Lloyd
recorded the data he received from each fall and inserted the data into force calculations to arrive
at values representing the force with which the mannequin’s head made impact when it fell. He
then compared the force values his experiment produced with head injury threshold criteria and
determined that the values he recorded exceeded the reported thresholds. Because the values he
recorded exceeded the reported thresholds, he concluded that it was possible a bathtub fall could
have produced the type of head injuries that Aaliyah sustained.
{¶15} The trial court excluded Dr. Lloyd’s testimony on two separate bases. First, the
court determined that Dr. Lloyd was not qualified to offer any opinion as to whether specific
types of brain injuries in a child could be sustained by a bathtub fall because he lacked any
education, training, or experience in pediatric brain injury and any such testimony would amount
to a medical diagnosis that Dr. Lloyd was not qualified to make. See Evid.R. 702(B). Second,
the court determined that Dr. Lloyd’s bathtub experiment was not reliable because it had never
been tested or subjected to peer review, no error rate was discussed, no proof existed that the
experiment was definite enough to generate accurate results, and the methodology Dr. Lloyd
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employed was not widely accepted in the scientific community. See Evid.R. 702(C). We begin
by examining the reliability of Dr. Lloyd’s experiment under Evid.R. 702(C).
{¶16} Dr. Lloyd admitted on cross-examination that he created and designed the bathtub
experiment he conducted for the sole purpose of this litigation. He explained that he performed
the experiment in his private lab at home because it was unrelated to his actual employment as a
researcher for the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Florida. Dr. Lloyd testified that he
advertises his services on the internet and performs experiments during his personal time. He
began studying abusive head trauma in children approximately 14 months before the Daubert
hearing when a colleague sought his opinion in a Shaken Baby Syndrome case. Since that time,
Dr. Lloyd had performed five experiments related to Shaken Baby Syndrome.1 He had never,
however, performed the type of experiment that he designed in this case.
{¶17} Dr. Lloyd testified that biofidelic mannequins such as the CRABI1 model are
used in the automotive industry to simulate car accidents and determine the likelihood of injury
to the occupants of a car. He testified that guidelines exist for the installation and calibration of
the electronic instrumentation used with the mannequins and that he followed those guidelines in
installing the CRABI1 model’s sensors. Dr. Lloyd indicated that it is a generally accepted
principle in the scientific community that simulations during which force is applied can be used
to determine the likelihood of injuries. He further stated that the methodology he employed in
his experiment is commonly used in the motor vehicle industry as well as the sporting goods
industry, where force simulations are used to test the effectiveness of sporting equipment at
preventing injury. Finally, Dr. Lloyd testified that the injury thresholds he used in his
1
Dr. Lloyd testified that he had proven through biomechanical analysis that shaking alone is
insufficient to cause brain injury to an infant.
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calculations are widely used in the automotive industry and many articles have been published
about them.
{¶18} Dr. Lloyd admitted that CRABI1 mannequins were specifically developed to
study impact biomechanics in motor vehicle accidents and that the injury thresholds upon which
he relied were developed for automotive impact testing. Nevertheless, Dr. Lloyd claimed that
the same mannequins and threshold data from the automotive industry could be applied to
simulated fall experiments because the principles of biomechanics, physics, and gravity apply
equally to any instance of force. Dr. Lloyd explained that one would simply need to adjust their
calculations to account for any differences, such as the difference between a vertical and
horizontal impact or the difference between an adult’s and a child’s injury threshold. Dr. Lloyd
relied upon two experiments as examples of the soundness of his methodology and the
experiment he performed.
{¶19} The first experiment Dr. Lloyd referenced was one in which he and a colleague
dropped adult-sized biofidelic mannequins from a hospital bed from varying heights and
positions in order to study the risk of any injury that might result and how to prevent the injury.
The results of the experiment allowed Dr. Lloyd to determine whether the risks of severe head
injuries increased or decreased based upon the type of fall that occurred as well as how much
those risks could be reduced by the presence of a bedside floor mat. Dr. Lloyd calculated the
likelihood of injury in each fall by referring to the same head injury threshold criteria sources he
used in this case. He and his colleague discovered that the risk of head injury was highest when
they dropped a mannequin in an angular fashion with its feet hitting the floor before its head
because the additional momentum attained as a result of the angular, as opposed to only linear,
9
acceleration strengthened the force of the impact. Dr. Lloyd testified that he and his colleague
published the results of their experiment in a peer reviewed journal.
{¶20} The second experiment Dr. Lloyd referenced was one in which Dr. Chris Van Ee
and his colleagues performed a biomechanical recreation of a child’s fall from play equipment in
her family’s garage. In the recreation, Dr. Van Ee used a biofidelic mannequin to simulate the
child’s fall. Dr. Van Ee was able to recreate the fall and the conditions of the fall exactly, as the
child’s grandmother had been videotaping the child when she fell and a recording of the fall
existed. Based on the recreation he conducted, Dr. Van Ee determined that the fall the child took
was sufficient to cause the types of injuries that the child sustained. Dr. Lloyd specified that Dr.
Van Ee’s study had been published and peer-reviewed and that the methodology Dr. Lloyd used
for his own experiment was “almost identical” to the methodology that Dr. Van Ee had used.
{¶21} Dr. Lloyd admitted on cross-examination that he had not submitted the results of
his bathtub experiment for publication and that he had only discussed his experiment with one
other person: a pathologist friend with whom he had dinner a few weeks before the Daubert
hearing. He further admitted that, unlike the experiment Dr. Van Ee conducted, no recording of
the fall he sought to simulate, if in fact there was a fall, existed. Dr. Lloyd was forced to create
three different fall scenarios and average his results because no one had witnessed the alleged
fall. Moreover, Dr. Lloyd conceded that he had not ensured the conditions of his experiment
were the same as the conditions that existed on the night of Aaliyah’s injuries. Dr. Lloyd never
visited the actual apartment or bathtub where Aaliyah allegedly fell. He did not know what type
of bathtub the apartment had or whether the bathtub he had purchased was the same type. He did
not know how much water, if any, remained in the bathtub when Aaliyah allegedly fell.
Moreover, he did not explain how accurately a pair of roller skates could simulate a fall
10
condition when, in actuality, any fall would have occurred in bare feet. Even so, Dr. Lloyd
insisted that any inaccuracies or variations in the conditions of his experiment only would have
produced more conservative results.
{¶22} Neither one of the experiments to which Dr. Lloyd referred as support for his
methodology are comparable to the bathtub experiment he performed. The experiment
conducted by Dr. Van Ee reportedly constituted an exact recreation of the fall in question, as a
recording of the fall and the conditions of the fall existed. Likewise, the experiment that Dr.
Lloyd and one of his colleagues conducted involving mannequins dropped from beds only
sought to measure risks of injury by comparing repetitive falls under similar conditions. The
experiment did not encompass the comparison of the results of one of those falls with an injury
from an unknown cause. Although Dr. Lloyd may have premised the calculations in his
experiment upon widely accepted theories, the use of a widely accepted theory is only one
component of reliability under Evid.R. 702(C). See Evid.R. 702(C)(1).
{¶23} Dr. Lloyd designed the bathtub experiment he conducted by himself solely for
purposes of this litigation. He admitted that no one else had ever performed the experiment he
created. He also admitted that his experiment and his results had not been published or subjected
to any type of peer review, other than Dr. Lloyd’s having discussed the experiment with a friend
over dinner. Moreover, Dr. Lloyd conceded that he did not have any knowledge of the actual
conditions of the apartment or bathtub in which Aaliyah allegedly fell or the exact nature of her
alleged fall. Compare Miller, 80 Ohio St.3d at 612-616.
{¶24} In affirming a decision to exclude expert testimony, the Ohio Supreme Court
wrote:
Although scientists certainly may draw inferences from a body of work, trial
courts must ensure that any such extrapolation accords with scientific principles
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and methods. * * * A court may conclude that there is simply too great an
analytical gap between the data and the opinion proffered. Because expert
opinion based on nebulous methodology is unhelpful to the trier of fact, it has no
place in courts of law.
(Internal quotations and citations omitted.) Valentine, 110 Ohio St.3d 42, 2006-Ohio-3561, at ¶
18. Although Dr. Lloyd used several widely accepted theories in his experiment, we cannot
conclude that the trial court abused its discretion when it determined that his experiment was not
reliable. The experiment had never before been performed, so Dr. Lloyd’s technique had never
been tested. See Miller, 80 Ohio St.3d at 611. Likewise, his technique had never been subjected
to peer review. See id. The only mention of any known or potential rate of error Dr. Lloyd
discussed at the hearing was the known error rate for the calibration of the sensors he installed in
the CRABI1 mannequin. No known or potential rate of error was discussed with regard to any
other instruments he used or any other component of his experiment. See id. Finally, other than
the limited examples Dr. Lloyd gave of the two experiments that were not comparable with his
own, there was no evidence that the methodology he used had gained general acceptance in the
scientific community. See id. In short, Ms. Calise did not demonstrate at the Daubert hearing
that Dr. Lloyd’s testimony was scientifically reliable. See State v. Wooden, 9th Dist. No. 23992,
2008-Ohio-3629, ¶ 23-24. To the extent Ms. Calise argues in her brief that a law degree does not
equip one to question principles and methods acted upon by experts in their relevant fields, we
abide by the Supreme Court’s cautionary instruction that the “courtroom is not the place for
scientific guesswork, even of the inspired sort. Law lags science; it does not lead it.” Valentine
at ¶ 23, quoting Rosen v. Ciba-Geigy Corp., 78 F.3d 316, 319 (7th Cir.1996). Accordingly, we
conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion when it determined that Dr. Lloyd’s
testimony was not scientifically reliable under Evid.R. 702(C).
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{¶25} The trial court also determined that Dr. Lloyd was not qualified to offer any
opinion as to whether specific types of brain injuries in a child could be sustained by a bathtub
fall because he lacked any education, training, or experience in pediatric brain injury and any
such testimony would amount to a medical diagnosis that Dr. Lloyd was not qualified to make.
See Evid.R. 702(B). We will not address this portion of the trial court’s opinion in our analysis
because Ms. Calise has not set forth any argument that the court erred by so concluding. See
App.R. 16(A)(7). As this Court has repeatedly held, “[i]f an argument exists that can support
[an] assignment of error, it is not this [C]ourt’s duty to root it out.” Cardone v. Cardone, 9th
Dist. No. 18349, 1998 WL 224934, *8 (May 6, 1998). Ms. Calise’s first assignment of error is
overruled.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR III
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN ALLOWING THE STATE’S MEDICAL
WITNESSES TO TESTIFY AS EXPERTS ON THE FORCE NECESSARY TO
CAUSE THE INJURIES SUFFERED BY AALIYAH ALI.
{¶26} In her third assignment of error, Ms. Calise argues that the trial court erred when
it allowed the State’s medical witnesses to testify that Aaliyah’s injuries could not possibly have
been caused by a bathtub fall. According to Ms. Calise, three of the State’s medical witnesses
were not competent to testify as to the cause of an injury.
{¶27} “The determination of the admissibility of expert testimony is within the
discretion of the trial court.” Valentine, 110 Ohio St.3d 42, 2006-Ohio-3561, at ¶ 9. The trial
court permitted the State to present the testimony of four medical experts: (1) Dr. Nirali Patel, a
pediatric emergency medicine fellow at Akron Children’s Hospital; (2) Dr. John Pope, a
pediatric intensivist and the associate director of the pediatric critical care unit at Akron
Children’s Hospital; (3) Dr. Richard Daryl Steiner, the director of the CARE Center at Akron
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Children’s Hospital; and (4) Dr. Dorothy Dean, a forensic pathologist and the Summit County
Medical Examiner. All four witnesses testified, within a reasonable degree of medical certainty,
that the cause of Aaliyah’s death was non-accidental head trauma and that her injuries were not
consistent with having slipped and fallen in a bathtub. All four witnesses based their conclusions
on their training, education, experience, and their personal evaluations of Aaliyah.
{¶28} Ms. Calise argues that Drs. Patel, Pope, and Steiner were not competent to opine
as to the cause of Aaliyah’s injuries because “that is just not their field.” She fails to point to any
authority in support of her argument. See App.R. 16(A)(7). Moreover, she does not challenge
any of the three experts’ particular qualifications or explain why, as medical doctors with
pediatric experience who personally examined Aaliyah, they were not competent to testify as to
the cause of her injuries. See, e.g., Segedy v. Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery of Akron, Inc.,
182 Ohio App.3d 768, 2009-Ohio-2460, ¶ 18-19 (9th Dist.). This Court will not construct an
argument on behalf of an appellant. See Cardone, 1998 WL 224934, at *8. Further, this Court
will not conclude that an appellant was prejudiced by the admission of evidence where the
appellant has not shown that such prejudice exists. Ms. Calise does not explain how the
testimony of the three doctors harmed her in light of Dr. Dean’s testimony. Dr. Dean performed
Aaliyah’s autopsy and concluded, within a reasonable degree of medical certainty, that Aaliyah
died from blunt impact trauma and her injuries were “[a]bsolutely not” consistent with a fall in a
bathtub. Ms. Calise has not challenged Dr. Dean’s competence to offer the foregoing
conclusions, and the testimony of the other medical doctors merely corroborated those
conclusions. Ms. Calise’s third assignment of error is overruled.
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ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR XI
THE TRIAL (sic) ERRED IN EXCLUDING A NEWLY-PROFFERED EXPERT
OPINION FROM DR. PETER STEPHENS, WHO WOULD HAVE TESTIFIED
THAT AALIYAH’S INJURY GAVE EVIDENCE OF BEING AN OLD ONE.
{¶29} In her eleventh assignment of error, Ms. Calise argues that the trial court erred by
prohibiting defense expert Dr. Peter Stephens from testifying that pre-existing injuries,
aggravated by a fall in Ms. Calise’s bathtub, could have been the cause of Aaliyah’s death. We
disagree.
{¶30} Although a criminal defendant has the right to present witness testimony on his
behalf, a trial court may “exclude such evidence when the orderly administration of justice is
threatened by the accused’s failure to promptly disclose witnesses.” State v. Moon, 74 Ohio
App.3d 162, 169 (9th Dist.1991). The rules of discovery, and more specifically Crim.R. 16,
imbue trial courts with the discretion to exclude testimony that is not disclosed in a timely
manner in order to prevent surprise and ensure a fair trial. State v. Barrios, 9th Dist. No.
06CA009065, 2007-Ohio-7025, ¶ 18. “Exclusion is a permissible sanction ‘as long as it would
not completely deny the defendant his constitutional right to present a defense.’” Id., quoting
State v. Sinkfield, 2d Dist. No. 18663, 2001 WL 1517314, *8 (Nov. 30, 2001). Because a trial
court’s decision to exclude testimony is a discretionary one, we review a court’s decision to
exclude evidence under an abuse of discretion standard of review. Barrios at ¶ 18. An abuse of
discretion implies that the trial court’s attitude was unreasonable, arbitrary, or unconscionable.
Blakemore v. Blakemore, 5 Ohio St.3d 217, 219 (1983).
{¶31} Dr. Stephens prepared two expert reports on behalf of the defense. The actual
reports are not a part of the record, but the parties and the court summarized their contents. In
his first report, Dr. Stephens opined that Aaliyah’s injuries were consistent with her having fallen
15
in Ms. Calise’s bathtub. Dr. Stephens theorized that all of Aaliyah’s injuries were the result of
the onset of rapid brain swelling, triggered by an impact. In his second report, however, Dr.
Stephens opined that slides taken from Aaliyah’s autopsy evidenced the presence of older blood,
meaning that Aaliyah had suffered a head injury before the injuries she sustained while in Ms.
Calise’s care. Dr. Stephens theorized that pre-existing injuries Aaliyah sustained, possibly at the
hands of another, could have caused her death with or without additional trauma, such as a fall in
the bathtub. Defense counsel produced Dr. Stephens’ first report before the expiration of the
discovery deadline that the trial court set for the parties. Defense counsel produced Dr.
Stephens’ second report on the morning of trial.
{¶32} The State objected to Dr. Stephens’ second report on the basis that it amounted to
a new defense, premised upon a theory of old abuse at the hands of someone other than Ms.
Calise. Defense counsel countered that the second report was consistent with the State’s own
evidence, as the first technician who reviewed Aaliyah’s original CT scan had reported that the
scan showed old blood. In doing so, defense counsel admitted that the State had provided the
defense with all of Aaliyah’s medical records, including the first technician’s report, and her
autopsy slides in a timely manner.
{¶33} The trial court determined that Dr. Stephens’ second report amounted to a new
defense theory and that it would be unfair to allow Ms. Calise to present her expert’s new theory
to the jury when the State had just learned of it on the morning of trial. The court noted that the
State had provided defense counsel with all of Aaliyah’s medical records in a timely manner,
such that defense counsel had adequate time to prepare any defense theories premised upon
them. The court ruled that the testimony of Dr. Stephens would be limited to the contents of his
first expert report. Nevertheless, the court allowed the defense to question the State’s experts
16
about the presence of old blood on Aaliyah’s CT scan and what effect, if any, a prior head injury
would have had on their diagnoses. The court also ruled that Ms. Calise could present lay
witness testimony to introduce the alternative theory of prior abuse if she chose to do so. The
court simply limited her from introducing expert testimony based on a report submitted on the
day of trial.
{¶34} Ms. Calise concedes that she failed to disclose Dr. Stephens’ second expert report
within the discovery deadline that the court set, but argues that the court should have granted a
continuance instead of excluding the testimony based upon the second report. At that point,
however, the trial court already had granted a continuance at the request of the defense due to a
different issue defense counsel perceived with the State’s experts. Moreover, at that point, the
potential jurors were at the courthouse waiting to be seated, and there was no guarantee that a
continuance would have resolved the situation. As the trial court noted, the theory that Aaliyah
died primarily as a result of prior abuse was not the theory that the defense had pursued and for
which the State had prepared up to that point. See Lakewood v. Papadelis, 32 Ohio St.3d 1, 5
(1987) (“Factors to be considered by the trial court include the extent to which the prosecution
will be surprised or prejudiced by the witness’ testimony * * *.”). The theory represented a
considerable tactical shift on the morning of trial.
{¶35} Given our review of the record, we cannot conclude that the trial court abused its
discretion by excluding Dr. Stephens’ testimony to the extent it encompassed his second report.
Defense counsel presented the report at the last moment, despite the fact that the State had
produced all of Aaliyah’s medical records in a timely manner. The justification defense counsel
offered for the delay in seeking the second expert report was that the State had allegedly
withheld evidence about possible abuse. According to defense counsel, the State never disclosed
17
in discovery the fact that the police had received, but had never investigated, phone calls about
the possible abuse of Aaliyah by her mother. Ms. Calise maintains on appeal that the State’s
nondisclosure violated Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963), and compounded the prejudice
that resulted from the trial court’s ruling to exclude Dr. Stephens’ testimony.
{¶36} Initially, we note that the State did not violate Brady v. Maryland. Ms. Calise
informed the trial court that she became aware of other possible acts of abuse toward Aaliyah the
week before trial. “Brady only applies when a defendant discovers post-trial that the State has
withheld exculpatory evidence.” State v. Vu, 9th Dist. No. 11CA0042-M, 2012-Ohio-746, ¶ 39.
Because Ms. Calise learned about the allegedly exculpatory evidence at issue before trial, no
Brady violation occurred. Further, as defense counsel conceded in the court below, the defense
had access to all of Aaliyah’s medical records, including the first technician’s report that her CT
scan depicted old blood, long before defense counsel sought to introduce expert testimony about
the old blood. Defense counsel, therefore, could have formulated the theory about a prior injury
based upon the information the State disclosed in discovery.
{¶37} Ms. Calise has not shown that the trial court abused its discretion. The court
excluded expert testimony in order to avoid unfair surprise and to ensure a fair trial. See Barrios,
2007-Ohio-7025, at ¶ 18. Additionally, the court’s ruling did not completely deny Ms. Calise
her constitutional right to present a defense. See id. It merely prohibited Ms. Calise from
presenting expert testimony on a belated, alternative theory. Further, Ms. Calise was still able to
introduce that theory through cross-examination. Ms. Calise’s eleventh assignment of error is
overruled.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR XIII
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN ALLOWING THE TESTIMONY OF
SHELBY POMPEO AND GRETCHEN ROTHACHER.
18
{¶38} In her thirteenth assignment of error, Ms. Calise argues that the trial court erred
by admitting the testimony of two witnesses: Shelby Pompeo and Gretchen Rothacher. Ms.
Calise argues that the testimony of both women amounted to inadmissible character evidence.
We disagree.
{¶39} The trial court permitted both Ms. Pompeo and Ms. Rothacher, two of Ms.
Calise’s former neighbors, to testify that they saw Ms. Calise outside her apartment with Aaliyah
the same night Aaliyah died, heard Ms. Calise yell at Aaliyah, and watched her roughly grab
Aaliyah by the back of the neck and drag her back inside. Ms. Rothacher could not remember
what Ms. Calise had yelled, but Ms. Pompeo testified that Ms. Calise yelled “[w]e’re going in
the f***ing house.” Both Ms. Rothacher and Ms. Pompeo testified that the incident occurred at
approximately 8:30 p.m., just over three hours before Ms. Calise called 911.
{¶40} Evid.R. 404(B) provides, in pertinent part, that “[e]vidence of other crimes,
wrongs, or acts is not admissible to prove the character of a person in order to show action in
conformity therewith.” Initially, we question Evid.R. 404(B)’s applicability in this instance, as
the rule only applies to “other crimes, wrongs, or acts.” That is, we question whether the State
actually sought to introduce evidence of another crime, wrong, or act through the testimony of
Pompeo and Rothacher. See State v. Owens, 9th Dist. No. 21630, 2004-Ohio-601 ¶ 18 (Evid.R.
404(B) argument rejected because “[t]he evidence was not admitted to show a particular
character trait of Defendant”). Nevertheless, we recognize that the Ohio Supreme Court has
broadly construed Evid.R. 404(B), employing the rule to analyze a wide-range of testimony. See
State v. Diar, 120 Ohio St.3d 460, 2008-Ohio-6266, ¶ 65-92 (other acts testimony involving
defendant’s lack of parenting, poor housekeeping, and financial irresponsibility). As such, to the
19
extent Evid.R. 404(B) applies here, we conclude that the admission of the testimony of Ms.
Pompeo and Ms. Rothacher did not violate the rule.
{¶41} Evid.R. 404(B) contains a non-exhaustive list of exceptions under which other
acts evidence may be admitted for a purpose other than to show propensity. Certain other acts
evidence also may be admissible when “the other acts ‘form part of the immediate background of
the alleged act which forms the foundation of the crime charged in the indictment’ and are
‘inextricably related’ to the crime.” State v. Morris, 132 Ohio St.3d 337, 2012-Ohio-2407, ¶ 13,
quoting State v. Curry, 43 Ohio St.2d 66, 73 (1975). “A jury is entitled to know the ‘setting’ of a
case, including evidence of other crimes that explains the circumstances or tends logically to
prove any element of the offense charged.” State v. Thomas, 9th Dist. No. 10CA009756, 2011-
Ohio-1629, ¶ 17. This Court reviews a trial court’s admission of other acts evidence under an
abuse of discretion standard of review. Morris at ¶ 14, quoting Diar at ¶ 66.
{¶42} Ms. Calise argues that the trial court abused its discretion by admitting the
testimony of Ms. Pompeo and Ms. Rothacher because the testimony was not admissible under
the mistake or accident exception contained in Evid.R. 404(B). Absence of mistake or accident
was one basis that the trial court cited for its ruling. The court also determined, however, that the
testimony was admissible because it was close in time to Aaliyah’s injury and part of the
background of the offense. Moreover, even if the trial court erred in its rationale, this Court may
affirm its ultimate decision on other legally correct grounds. State v. Scott, 9th Dist. No.
08CA009446, 2009-Ohio-672, ¶ 16, quoting State v. Danko, 9th Dist. No. 07CA0070-M, 2008-
Ohio-2903, ¶ 40.
{¶43} According to the defense, Ms. Calise had watched Aaliyah many times without
incident, she enjoyed watching Aaliyah, she never would have harmed her, and Aaliyah’s
20
injuries were the result of a freak accident. The incident that Ms. Pompeo and Ms. Rothacher
described detracted from the defense’s portrayal of the events and took place only a few hours
before Aaliyah’s injury. The incident tended to show that Ms. Calise was, at the very least,
frustrated with Aaliyah shortly before her death, as evidenced by Ms. Calise grabbing her,
roughly shoving her, and using profanity with her despite the fact that she was less than two
years old. The testimony, if believed, would have helped to provide context for the jurors. See
Diar, 120 Ohio St.3d 460, 2008-Ohio-6266, at ¶ 72 (“Testimony that [the defendant] left [the
victim] unattended, fed him fast food, and acted like [the victim] was a bother provided the
context for the alleged crimes and made [the defendant’s] actions more understandable to the
jurors.”); Thomas, 2011-Ohio-1629, at ¶ 17. Based on our review of the record, we must
conclude that the testimony of Ms. Pompeo and Ms. Rothacher was admissible because it
formed a part of the immediate background of Ms. Calise’s offense. See Morris, 132 Ohio St.3d
337, 2012-Ohio-2407, at ¶ 13. As such, the trial court did not abuse its discretion by admitting
the testimony. Ms. Calise’s thirteenth assignment of error is overruled.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR XV
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FAILING TO GRANT A MOTION FOR
MISTRIAL BASED ON JUROR MISCONDUCT.
{¶44} In her fifteenth assignment of error, Ms. Calise argues that the trial court erred by
denying her motion for a mistrial. We disagree.
{¶45} “Mistrials need be declared only when the ends of justice so require and a fair
trial is no longer possible.” State v. Franklin, 62 Ohio St.3d 118, 127 (1991). “The essential
inquiry on a motion for mistrial is whether the substantial rights of the accused are adversely
affected. Great deference is afforded to a trial court’s decision regarding a motion for mistrial.
Accordingly, this Court reviews the denial of a motion for mistrial for an abuse of discretion.”
21
(Internal citations, alterations, and quotations omitted.) State v. Howes, 9th Dist. No. 24665,
2010-Ohio-421, ¶ 11. An abuse of discretion means that the trial court was unreasonable,
arbitrary, or unconscionable in its ruling. Blakemore, 5 Ohio St.3d at 219.
{¶46} Ms. Calise moved for a mistrial the day after a jury view took place, during which
the jurors visited an apartment identical to Ms. Calise’s former apartment. Before the jurors
visited the apartment, the State requested for the trial court to instruct the jurors to touch the
bathtub in the apartment. The defense objected to that instruction, so the court indicated that it
would modify it. Instead of instructing the jurors that they had to touch the bathtub, the court
instructed the jurors that they would be permitted to do so. Ms. Calise requested a mistrial after
the jury view because “many” of the jurors touched the bathtub and “start[ed] banging it in
several places” before taking notes. According to Ms. Calise, the court’s ruling permitted the
jurors to conduct their own experiment.
{¶47} The trial court refused to grant a mistrial, but agreed to issue an instruction to the
jury. The court instructed the jury as follows:
I wanted to give you a couple further instructions regarding the jury view that we
had yesterday.
You were taken to the premises or scene and what you * * * observed at the scene
is not evidence since the conditions may have changed. In fact, I think we
informed you that perhaps some of the conditions did change since the time of the
events in this case.
The evidence as to the physical appearance of the scene must come to you from
the witness stand. The sole purpose of the viewing of the scene is to help you
understand the evidence as it is presented during the trial.
So I just wanted to make sure that you were aware of that. Evidence, actual
evidence in this case, has to come from the witness stand or the exhibits. And we
just did that to help aid you in understanding the evidence as it comes in * * *.
Thus, the trial court specifically told the jurors that they were not to consider any of the
conditions they observed during their jury view as evidence.
22
{¶48} Ms. Calise does not reference the court’s instruction in her argument that the court
allowed the jurors to conduct their own experiment. Yet, the court’s instruction specifically
addressed that issue. This Court presumes that jurors follow the instructions of the trial court.
State v. Veal, 9th Dist. No. 26005, 2012-Ohio-3555, ¶ 28. Given that the trial court specifically
instructed the jury that they were not to consider any part of their jury view as actual evidence in
the case, we must presume that the jurors did not do so. Id. Further, we must conclude that Ms.
Calise’s substantial rights were not adversely affected. Ms. Calise has not set forth any argument
as to how she was prejudiced by the jury’s conduct in light of the other evidence the State
introduced at trial. See App.R. 16(A)(7). Because the court instructed the jury regarding the jury
view and Ms. Calise has not shown that she was prejudiced by it in light of the other evidence
introduced at trial, we conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion by refusing to
grant a mistrial. See, e.g., State v. Mohamed, 9th Dist. No. 11CA0050-M, 2012-Ohio-3636, ¶ 27.
As such, Ms. Calise’s fifteenth assignment of error is overruled.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR V
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FAILING TO GRANT [MS. CALISE’S]
MOTIONS FOR ACQUITTAL.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR VI
THE COURT ERRED IN ENTERING JUDGMENT ON THE VERDICT
BECAUSE IT WAS NOT SUPPORTED BY SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE.
{¶49} In her fifth and sixth assignments of error, Ms. Calise argues that the court erred
by denying her motion for acquittal and that her convictions are based on insufficient evidence.
We disagree.
{¶50} “We review a denial of a defendant’s Crim.R. 29 motion for acquittal by
assessing the sufficiency of the State’s evidence.” State v. Frashuer, 9th Dist. No. 24769, 2010-
23
Ohio-634, ¶ 33. In order to determine whether the evidence before the trial court was sufficient
to sustain a conviction, this Court must review the evidence in a light most favorable to the
prosecution. State v. Jenks, 61 Ohio St.3d 259, 273 (1991).
An appellate court’s function when reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence to
support a criminal conviction is to examine the evidence admitted at trial to
determine whether such evidence, if believed, would convince the average mind
of the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The relevant inquiry is
whether, after viewing the evidence in a light most favorable to the prosecution,
any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime
proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Id. at paragraph two of the syllabus; see also State v. Thompkins, 78 Ohio St.3d 380, 386 (1997).
“In essence, sufficiency is a test of adequacy.” Thompkins at 386.
{¶51} Ms. Calise does not challenge any particular element of her convictions. Instead,
she argues that reasonable doubt that she harmed Aaliyah existed because one of the State’s own
experts acknowledged that (1) shaking injuries are difficult to diagnosis absent a witness to the
shaking, (2) Aaliyah did not suffer from several of the injuries commonly associated with
shaking, such as rib fractures, and (3) studies have cast doubt on the legitimacy of shaken-baby
syndrome. We do not agree that Ms. Calise’s convictions are based on insufficient evidence.
{¶52} Summit County Sheriff’s Deputy Scott Plymire responded to Ms. Calise’s 911
call and arrived at her apartment along with paramedics from the City of Green’s Fire
Department. Deputy Plymire spoke with Ms. Calise after Aaliyah received treatment. Ms.
Calise told Deputy Plymire that Aaliyah was injured at the end of her bath when Ms. Calise
briefly left the room to get a towel. According to Ms. Calise, she heard three “thump[s]” after
she left the bathroom and returned to find Aaliyah lying limp on the floor of the bathtub. Ms.
Calise stated that the water in the tub had “nearly drained” at that point and Aaliyah was
24
positioned on her back with her arms over her head. Ms. Calise then grabbed Aaliyah and
brought her into the living room where she called 911.
{¶53} Thomas Wiles was one of the paramedics who treated Aaliyah at the scene. Mr.
Wiles testified that Aaliyah was lying unclothed on Ms. Calise’s living room floor when he
arrived and displayed decorticate posturing. Mr. Wiles explained that decorticate posturing
indicates a head injury and is typically associated with motorcycle crashes or high speed motor
vehicle accidents. At the time Mr. Wiles began to treat Aaliyah, her pupils were fixed and
dilated and she was only breathing four to six times per minute. The paramedics used a bag
valve mask to aid Aaliyah’s respirations. Mr. Wiles could not actually see inside of Aaliyah’s
mouth because her teeth were clenched. He indicated, however, that he was easily able to
squeeze the bag he placed on Aaliyah’s face, meaning that he did not encounter any obstructions
in her airway that would have made bagging difficult.
{¶54} The State presented four medical experts at trial: Dr. Nirali Patel, Dr. John Pope,
Dr. Richard Daryl Steiner, and Dr. Dorothy Dean. Dr. Patel first examined Aaliyah when she
arrived at Akron Children’s Hospital. At that time, Aaliyah was in critical condition and
required intubation. Dr. Patel testified that she administered a drug to Aaliyah to paralyze her
jaw muscles so that she could open her mouth and complete the intubation. She further testified
that, although she had to suction foreign material from Aaliyah’s throat before successfully
completing the intubation, Aaliyah did not have any airway blockages.
{¶55} Dr. Patel only observed a small bruise on Aaliyah’s forehead when she examined
her, but ordered a CT scan. The CT scan displayed a subdural hemorrhage, cerebral edema, and
mass effect swelling in Aaliyah’s brain. It further showed that Aaliyah did not have any skull
fractures. Dr. Patel opined that a skull fracture generally would occur with a traumatic impact
25
situation and that the type of injuries Aaliyah sustained were usually seen in high impact,
acceleration-deceleration situations such as motor vehicle accidents or falls from a great height.
Dr. Patel testified that she had never seen a slip and fall injury result in the types of injuries that
Aaliyah sustained and that Aaliyah’s injuries were not proportional to the reported history the
hospital received from Ms. Calise. Dr. Patel opined, based on a reasonable degree of medical
certainty, that Aaliyah’s injuries were the result of non-accidental trauma, not injuries associated
with either a bathtub fall or choking.
{¶56} Dr. Pope received Aaliyah into his care before her surgery. At that time, Aaliyah
displayed signs of a severe brain injury. Dr. Pope received the results of Aaliyah’s blood tests
and testified that her lactic acid levels were normal. Dr. Pope explained that oxygen deprivation
causes lactic acid build-up, such that Aaliyah’s levels would have been elevated if she had been
significantly deprived of oxygen or blood flow. Dr. Pope reviewed Aaliyah’s CT scan and noted
that her injuries were of a type typically seen in a severe car crash situation or a fall from a
second or third story window. Dr. Pope noted that he did not observe any exterior impact
injuries on Aaliyah and that falls generally present with outside injuries, fractures, or epidural
hematomas. He opined that Aaliyah’s injuries did not match the history given and, based on a
reasonable degree of medical certainty, they were the result of a violent force.
{¶57} Dr. Steiner testified that he evaluated Aaliyah and her case for signs of abuse in
his capacity as the Director of the CARE Center. Based on his examination of Aaliyah and his
review of all of her medical records, Dr. Steiner concluded that Aaliyah had suffered physical
abuse that resulted in traumatic brain injury and, ultimately, her death. Dr. Steiner explained that
the history Ms. Calise gave was incongruent with the injuries he observed on Aaliyah, as she had
not suffered from any scalp bruising or contusions, she did not suffer any skull fractures (a
26
common injury in an impact situation), and her condition deteriorated rapidly. Dr. Steiner
further explained that Aaliyah suffered from retinal hemorrhages, an injury indicative of a
rotational acceleration-deceleration, whiplash-type injury. Although Dr. Steiner admitted that it
was possible for a child to sustain a serious head injury from a short fall, he opined that such
injuries were very rare. He testified that Aaliyah’s particular injuries were not consistent with a
slip and fall due to their violent and complex nature. Dr. Steiner opined, within a reasonable
degree of medical certainty, that Aaliyah suffered an acute injury from physical abuse. More
specifically, he concluded that Aaliyah died as the result of her head being violently and
repetitively whipped back and forth.
{¶58} Dr. Dean performed Aaliyah’s autopsy and ruled Aaliyah’s death a homicide. Dr.
Dean testified that Aaliyah did not present with any underlying health problems and that there
was no evidence that she had ever experienced brain bleeding before this event. According to
Dr. Dean, Aaliyah died as a result of complications of blunt impact trauma and had suffered
severe damage as a result of severe trauma. Dr. Dean opined, based on a reasonable degree of
medical certainty and the types of injuries Aaliyah had sustained, that Aaliyah had been shaken
to death. More specifically, Dr. Dean testified that Aaliyah’s brain “was slammed inside her
skull forcibly” whether by shaking alone or shaking in conjunction with some impact on a
surface. Dr. Dean opined that a bathtub fall could “[a]bsolutely not” have caused Aaliyah’s
severe brain damage.
{¶59} The State presented evidence that Ms. Calise was the only adult with Aaliyah at
the time she suffered severe brain injuries. Further, the State presented extensive expert medical
testimony that Aaliyah’s injuries were the result of non-accidental trauma and could not possibly
have occurred from the simple fall in the bathtub that Ms. Calise described. Although Dr.
27
Steiner admitted that it was possible in some instances for a short fall to produce a serious head
injury, he testified that Aaliyah’s specific injuries were not consistent with that type of fall. Ms.
Calise criticizes Dr. Steiner’s expert opinion on the basis that he admitted he would not diagnose
an injury as shaken-baby syndrome in the absence of eyewitness testimony. What Dr. Steiner
actually said, however, was that he would not conclude that injuries were purely the result of
shaking, and not some other combination of injury such as shaking and impact, without
additional evidence. There was also testimony that, although Aaliyah did not suffer some of the
injuries commonly associated with shaking, such as rib fractures, she did suffer from another
common injury, retinal hemorrhaging.
{¶60} Viewing all of the evidence in a light most favorable to the State, including the
extensive expert medical testimony the State produced, a rational trier of fact could have found
that the State proved its case against Ms. Calise beyond a reasonable doubt. All of the State’s
experts opined, within a reasonable degree of medical certainty, that Aaliyah’s injuries were not
the result of accidental trauma. Dr. Dean in particular testified that Aaliyah died from violent
shaking. Ms. Calise’s statement that Aaliyah was injured when she fell in the bathtub did not
comport with the medical evidence the State produced at trial. Based on our review of the
record, we conclude that Ms. Calise’s convictions are not based on insufficient evidence. Ms.
Calise’s fifth and sixth assignments of error are overruled.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR VIII
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN ENTERING JUDGMENT ON A VERDICT
THAT WAS AGAINST THE MANIFEST WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE.
{¶61} In her eighth assignment of error, Ms. Calise argues that the jury’s verdicts are
against the manifest weight of the evidence. We disagree.
28
{¶62} In determining whether a conviction is against the manifest weight of the
evidence an appellate court:
must review the entire record, weigh the evidence and all reasonable inferences,
consider the credibility of witnesses and determine whether, in resolving conflicts
in the evidence, the trier of fact clearly lost its way and created such a manifest
miscarriage of justice that the conviction must be reversed and a new trial
ordered.
State v. Otten, 33 Ohio App.3d 339, 340 (9th Dist.1986). A weight of the evidence challenge
indicates that a greater amount of credible evidence supports one side of the issue than supports
the other. Thompkins, 78 Ohio St.3d at 387. Further, when reversing a conviction on the basis
that the conviction was against the manifest weight of the evidence, the appellate court sits as the
“thirteenth juror” and disagrees with the factfinder’s resolution of the conflicting testimony. Id.
Therefore, this Court’s “discretionary power to grant a new trial should be exercised only in the
exceptional case in which the evidence weighs heavily against the conviction.” State v. Martin,
20 Ohio App.3d 172, 175 (1st Dist.1983). See also Otten, 33 Ohio App.3d at 340.
{¶63} Ms. Calise argues that her convictions are against the manifest weight of the
evidence because there was testimony that a short fall can produce a fatal head injury. Again,
Ms. Calise points to Dr. Steiner’s testimony, in which he admitted that serious head injuries from
short falls are possible. Dr. Steiner also testified, however, that Aaliyah’s particular injuries
were not the result of a short fall even if such a possibility generally exists. He specified that
Aaliyah did not suffer any injuries that would commonly be associated with short falls, such as a
skull fracture or scalp bruising or contusions. Further, he specified that the totality of Aaliyah’s
injuries, including her retinal hemorrhaging, evidenced that she was subjected to a rotational
acceleration/deceleration, whiplash injury and not a fall. All of the State’s other medical experts
also concluded that Aaliyah’s injuries were not the result of a fall in a bathtub.
29
{¶64} The defense presented two medical experts: Dr. Ronald Uscinski and Dr. Peter
Stephens. Dr. Uscinski, a clinical neurosurgeon, testified within a reasonable degree of medical
certainty that Aaliyah’s injuries were consistent with the history Ms. Calise gave. Dr. Uscinski
explained that all of Aaliyah’s injuries could have been the result of intracranial pressure and
swelling due to choking and oxygen deprivation. Dr. Uscinski disagreed with the State’s expert,
Dr. Pope, that blood testing always would reveal oxygen deprivation due to lactic acid build-up
and related organ damage. Nevertheless, Dr. Uscinski admitted on cross-examination that there
was no evidence that Aaliyah’s airway had been blocked for any length of time. To the contrary,
both the paramedics and the hospital staff who first treated Aaliyah were able to penetrate her
airway with ease.
{¶65} Dr. Stephens agreed that Aaliyah’s injuries were consistent with the history that
Ms. Calise gave and that an impact could have disrupted Aaliyah’s breathing pattern, which then
could have triggered oxygen deprivation and swelling. Dr. Stephens also opined that retinal
hemorrhaging is consistent with both abusive and accidental trauma, as it can be caused simply
by the brain swelling. Dr. Stephens testified at length about the possibility of severe head
injuries in short fall situations and the fact that it is possible for a child to suffer severe brain
damage from a short fall in the absence of any external marks or bruises. Dr. Stephens
concluded that Aaliyah died as the result of a fall.
{¶66} The jury was presented with two conflicting theories based on the expert medical
testimony produced by the State and the defense. We cannot conclude that the jury lost its way
simply because it chose to believe the overwhelming amount of medical evidence the State
presented. The jury was not obligated to believe the testimony of Dr. Uscinski or Dr. Stephens
simply because they were experts. See Waugh v. Chakonas, 9th Dist. Nos. 25417 & 25480,
30
2011-Ohio-2764, ¶ 23. This Court has conducted an extensive review of the record in this
matter. Based upon our review of the record, this is not the exceptional case where the jury lost
its way in choosing to believe the State’s version of the events. See Otten, 33 Ohio App.3d at
340. Ms. Calise’s convictions are not against the manifest weight of the evidence, and her eighth
assignment of error is overruled.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR XVII
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FAILING TO INSTRUCT THE JURY ON
LESSER-INCLUDED OFFENSES AND IN FAILING TO PROPERLY
INSTRUCT ON THE ELEMENTS OF THE OFFENSES WITH WHICH MS.
CALISE WAS CHARGED.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR XVIII
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FAILING TO GRANT AN ACQUITTAL
BASED ON THESE ERRONEOUS JURY INSTRUCTIONS.
{¶67} In her seventeenth assignment of error, Ms. Calise argues that the trial court erred
by refusing to instruct the jury on lesser-included offenses and by improperly instructing the jury
on her indicted offenses. In her eighteenth assignment of error, she argues that the court erred by
not acquitting her based on its erroneous jury instructions. We disagree with both propositions.
{¶68} A jury may consider an unindicted crime if it is a lesser-included offense or
inferior degree of the crime charged. State v. Deem, 40 Ohio St.3d 205, 208 (1988). “An
instruction on a lesser-included offense is required only where the evidence presented at trial
would reasonably support both an acquittal on the crime charged and a conviction on the lesser-
included offense.” State v. Carter, 89 Ohio St.3d 593, 600 (2000). This Court reviews a trial
court’s decision to give or not give jury instructions for an abuse of discretion under the
particular facts and circumstances of the case. State v. Sanders, 9th Dist. No. 24654, 2009-Ohio-
31
5537, ¶ 45. An abuse of discretion means that the trial court was unreasonable, arbitrary, or
unconscionable in its ruling. Blakemore, 5 Ohio St.3d at 219.
{¶69} Ms. Calise argues that the trial court erred by not instructing the jury on
misdemeanor child endangering, an inferior degree of felony child endangering, with regard to
the child endangering count (Count Four) linked to her involuntary manslaughter count (Count
Two). In conjunction with that argument, Ms. Calise avers that the trial court erred by not
providing a more complete definition of foreseeability. According to Ms. Calise, had the court
properly instructed the jury, the jury could have determined that it was not foreseeable that her
act of leaving Aaliyah alone in a bathtub would result in serious physical harm to Aaliyah. See
R.C. 2919.22(E)(2)(c), (d); State v. Shirey, 9th Dist. No. 22593, 2006-Ohio-256, ¶ 18 (for an
offense to constitute felony child endangering, the State must prove that serious physical harm to
the child resulted from the act of endangerment).
{¶70} “A trial court must charge a jury with instructions that are a correct and complete
statement of the law.” State v. Estright, 9th Dist. No. 24401, 2009-Ohio-5676, ¶ 46. The trial
court here instructed the jury in accordance with the Ohio Jury Instructions on Child
Endangerment and causation in a homicide case. See State v. Armstrong, 9th Dist. No. 24479,
2009-Ohio-5941, ¶ 13 (instructions found in Ohio Jury Instructions are the recommended
instructions in Ohio). Specifically, the trial court instructed the jury as follows:
Causation. The State charges that the Defendant’s commission of Endangering
Children caused the death of Aaliyah Ali. Cause is an essential element of the
offense. Cause is an act or failure to act which in a natural and continuous
sequence directly produces the death and without which it would not have
occurred.
The Defendant’s responsibility is not limited to the immediate or most obvious
result of the Defendant’s act or failure to act. The Defendant is also responsible
for the natural and foreseeable consequences or results that follow in the ordinary
course of events from the act or failure to act.
32
There may be one or more causes of an event. However, if the Defendant’s act or
failure to act was one cause, then the existence of other causes is not a defense.
The Defendant is responsible for the natural consequences of the Defendant’s
unlawful act or failure to act even though death was also caused by the
intervening act or failure to act of another.
If the Defendant inflicted an injury not likely to produce death, and if the sole and
only cause of death was a natural cause, the Defendant who inflicted the original
injury is not responsible for the death.
See 4 Ohio Jury Instructions, Section 417.23 (2010); 4 Ohio Jury Instructions, Section 417.25
(2010). Ms. Calise has not set forth any argument as to why the court’s causation instruction did
not suffice or in what particular way the court’s instruction was deficient. According to Ms.
Calise, the court’s instruction did not adequately convey to the jury that the end result of serious
physical harm to Aaliyah, rather than merely some injury, must have been foreseeable to Ms.
Calise when she acted or failed to act. The plain language of the causation instruction, however,
required the jury to find that Ms. Calise caused Aaliyah’s death. The court specifically
instructed the jury that Ms. Calise would not be responsible for Aaliyah’s death if the injury she
inflicted was “not likely to produce death.” The court also properly defined “recklessly” for the
jury, as discussed below. As such, the jury could convict Ms. Calise only if it found that she
recklessly caused Aaliyah’s death. Absent a reasoned argument from Ms. Calise supported by
applicable legal authority, we will not conclude that the trial court improperly instructed the jury
on causation. See App.R. 16(A)(7).
{¶71} As to Ms. Calise’s argument that the court should have instructed the jury on the
inferior degree of child endangering, Ms. Calise concedes that there was evidence from which
the jury could have concluded that she was guilty of felony child endangering. Indeed, the entire
theory of the defense was that Aaliyah fell in the bathtub after Ms. Calise left her unattended and
it was entirely possible for a child to sustain a severe head injury from such a fall. The evidence
33
presented at trial would not reasonably have supported an acquittal on the crime charged. See
Carter, 89 Ohio St.3d at 600. See also State v. Moss, 9th Dist. No. 24092, 2008-Ohio-3956, ¶
26-27. Thus, the trial court did not abuse its discretion by refusing to instruct the jury on
misdemeanor child endangering.
{¶72} Lastly, Ms. Calise argues that the trial court erred by not providing a better
definition of “recklessness” and by not instructing the jury that the mens rea for both murder and
involuntary manslaughter was recklessness. As with the other definitions that the trial court
issued, the court provided the jury with the definition of recklessness contained in the Ohio Jury
Instructions. The court instructed the jury as follows:
Recklessly. A person acts recklessly when, with heedless indifference to the
consequences, she perversely disregards a known risk that her conduct is likely to
cause a certain result or to be of a certain nature.
A person is reckless with respect to circumstances when with heedless
indifference to the consequences she perversely disregards a known risk that such
circumstances are likely to exist.
Since you cannot look into the mind of another, recklessness is determined from
all the facts and circumstances in evidence. You will determine from these facts
and circumstances whether the Defendant recklessly abused Aaliyah Ali causing
her serious physical harm.
See 4 Ohio Jury Instructions, Section 417.17 (2010). The court’s definition also matched the
statutory definition of recklessness contained in R.C. 2901.22(C). Further, the court instructed
the jury on “risk” and “substantial risk,” both of which contrasted a significant or strong
possibility of causing a certain result with a remote possibility of a certain result. See id. Ms.
Calise has not shown that the trial court’s recklessness instruction was deficient or led the jury to
convict her merely because “some injury” to Aaliyah was foreseeable. See App.R. 16(A)(7).
Nor has she shown that the trial court erred by not instructing the jury that recklessness was the
mens rea for her felony murder or involuntary manslaughter counts. Felony murder does not
34
contain a mens rea component; it is the predicate offense that contains the mens rea component
for felony murder. State v. Fry, 125 Ohio St.3d 163, 2010-Ohio-1017, ¶ 43. The same is true for
involuntary manslaughter, as its degree depends upon the felony underlying it. See, e.g., State v.
Evans, 93 Ohio App.3d 121, 126 (9th Dist.1994). The court provided a complete definition of
recklessness for Ms. Calise’s counts of child endangering. Thus, we conclude that the trial court
did not err in instructing the jury.
{¶73} Ms. Calise’s seventeenth assignment of error is overruled, as the trial court did
not abuse its discretion or otherwise err by instructing the jury. Further, because the court did
not issue erroneous instructions to the jury, the court also did not err by refusing to acquit Ms.
Calise on the basis of any alleged erroneous instructions. Ms. Calise’s eighteenth assignment of
error is likewise overruled.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR II
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FAILING TO GRANT A NEW TRIAL
BECAUSE OF THE IMPROPER EXCLUSION OF DR. LLOYD’S
TESTIMONY.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR IV
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FAILING TO GRANT A NEW TRIAL
BECAUSE OF THIS IMPROPERLY-ADMITTED EVIDENCE.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR VII
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FAILING TO GRANT A NEW TRIAL
BECAUSE THE EVIDENCE WAS INSUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT THE
VERDICT[.]
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR IX
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FAILING TO GRANT A NEW TRIAL ON
THE GROUND THAT THE VERDICT WAS AGAINST THE MANIFEST
WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE.
35
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR X
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FAILING TO GRANT A NEW TRIAL ON
THE BASIS OF PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR XII
THE TRIAL (sic) ERRED IN DENYING A NEW TRIAL BECAUSE OF ITS
EXCLUSION OF THIS OPINION FROM DR. STEPHENS.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR XIV
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FAILING TO GRANT A NEW TRIAL
BASED ON THE ADMISSION OF THAT TESTIMONY.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR XVI
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FAILING TO GRANT A NEW TRIAL
BECAUSE OF THE JUROR MISCONDUCT.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR XIX
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FAILING TO GRANT A NEW TRIAL
BASED ON THE ERRONEOUS INSTRUCTIONS.
{¶74} The foregoing nine assignments of error all arise from the trial court’s ruling on
Ms. Calise’s motion for a new trial. We conclude that Ms. Calise’s motion for new trial was
properly denied.
{¶75} Initially, we address the State’s argument that the trial court should have denied
Ms. Calise’s motion for new trial on the basis that it was untimely. “Application for a new trial
shall be made by motion which * * * shall be filed within fourteen days after the verdict was
rendered * * * unless it is made to appear by clear and convincing proof that the defendant was
unavoidably prevented from filing [her] motion for a new trial * * *.” Crim.R. 33(B). If the
defendant demonstrates that filing an extension is warranted, “the motion shall be filed within
seven days from the order of the court finding that the defendant was unavoidably prevented
from filing such motion * * *.” Id. A trial court “may not extend the time for taking any action
36
under * * * Rule 33 * * * except to the extent and under the conditions stated in [the rule].”
Crim.R. 45(B). “In the absence of compliance with the procedures set forth in Crim.R. 33(B), a
motion for a new trial is not properly before the trial court.” State v. Hernon, 9th Dist. Nos.
3262-M & 3267-M, 2002-Ohio-3741, ¶ 9. Accord State v. Charlton, 9th Dist. No. 98CA007121,
1999 WL 689895, *2 (Sept. 1, 1999).
{¶76} The jury entered its verdict against Ms. Calise on June 16, 2011. On June 28,
2011, the trial court issued an order extending the filing deadline for Ms. Calise’s motion. The
order provided:
Upon motion and for good cause shown, this Court hereby ORDERS that, due to
the extensive trial preparation and complexity of the issues involved in the above
captioned case, the deadline for [Ms. Calise’s] Motion for New Trial be extended
seven (7) days. [Ms. Calise’s] motion will be due no later than July 6, 2011.
Ms. Calise filed her motion for a new trial on July 6, 2011, eight days after the court issued its
June 28th order extending Ms. Calise’s filing deadline. In response, the State argued that the
court should deny the motion as untimely because Ms. Calise had filed it beyond Crim.R. 33’s
seven-day timeframe. See Crim.R. 33(B). The court acknowledged that Ms. Calise had filed her
motion eight days after its order granting an extension. Nevertheless, the court proceeded to
consider the motion on its merits. In doing so, the court noted that its own order had set forth
July 6, 2011, as the deadline for Ms. Calise’s motion, and the interests of justice would be best
served by the court’s consideration of the motion. The court then denied the motion on its
merits.
{¶77} We agree with the State’s proposition that a motion for a new trial generally must
be filed within the deadline set forth by Crim.R. 33(B). In State v. Ross, the Ohio Supreme
Court examined the interplay between Crim.R. 29, Crim.R. 45, and their federal counterparts.
State v. Ross, 128 Ohio St.3d 283, 2010-Ohio-6282. Much like Crim.R. 33, Crim.R. 29 contains
37
a deadline for the filing of a Crim.R. 29 post-verdict motion. See Crim.R. 29(C). It is also
subject to the constraints of Crim.R. 45, which prohibits a court from extending its filing
deadline in any manner other than the manner set forth in Crim.R. 29. See Crim.R. 45(B). The
Ross Court examined the State’s appeal from a ruling on a renewed Crim.R. 29 motion that Ross
had filed beyond the rule’s filing deadline. Ross at ¶ 34. The Supreme Court ultimately
concluded that the trial court erred by considering Ross’ untimely motion because it was not
properly before the trial court and the State had objected to its untimeliness. Id. at ¶48-49. In
reaching its result, the Supreme Court relied in part upon Eberhart v. United States, 546 U.S. 12(2005).
{¶78} In Eberhart, the United State Supreme Court considered the nature of the deadline
set forth in Fed.R.Crim.P. 33, the federal rule governing the filing of motions for new trial. The
Court took care to note that the deadline contained in Fed.R.Crim.P. 33 is not a jurisdictional one
that would bar a trial court from considering an untimely-filed motion on its merits. Eberhart at
17-19. Nevertheless, the Court described the rule as “a claim-processing rule [] that is
admittedly inflexible because of [Former] Rule 45(b)’s2 insistent demand for a definite end to
proceedings.” Id. at 19. The Court stated that trial courts “must observe the clear limits of the
Rules of Criminal Procedure when they are properly invoked.” Id. at 17. The Court specified
that when the government objects to an untimely filed motion for a new trial the strict time limit
contained in Fed.R.Crim.P. 33 “assure[s] relief.” Id. at 19. In Ross, the Ohio Supreme Court
2
At the time of the Court’s decision, Fed.R.Crim.P. 45(b) mirrored Crim.R. 45(B) to the extent
that it prohibited a trial court from extending the filing deadlines for certain enumerated rules.
38
favorably cited the foregoing language from Eberhart as it pertains to motions for new trial.
Ross at ¶ 26, quoting Eberhart at 19. Therefore, the Supreme Court has recognized that a
defendant must abide by Crim.R. 33(B)’s filing deadlines when filing a motion for a new trial.
{¶79} Even so, neither Ross, nor Eberhart, involved a miscalculation on the part of the
trial court with regard to the filing deadline for a defendant’s motion for new trial. Ms. Calise
complied with the filing deadline the trial court set forth in its order. The problem is that the
court mistakenly extended the filing deadline for one additional day past Crim.R. 33(B)’s seven-
day time limit. Ross and Eberhart arise from different procedural postures than the posture at
issue in this case, and we do not believe that those cases extend to this exact scenario. We agree
with the trial court that the interests of justice would not be served by penalizing Ms. Calise for
having filed her motion in conformance with the trial court’s stated filing deadline. Thus, while
we agree that a defendant generally must comply with Crim.R. 33(B)’s rigid filing deadline, we
do not agree that the general rule applies in this specific instance. Ms. Calise’s motion was
properly before the trial court, so the court did not err by considering it.
{¶80} Ms. Calise sets forth nine assignments of error that stem from the trial court’s
denial of her motion for new trial. Yet, each of the assignments of error present issues that this
Court has already addressed in analyzing Ms. Calise’s other assignments of error. Ms. Calise
does not set forth any separate argument in the foregoing nine assignments of error that she did
not already set forth, and that this Court did not already reject, in her other assignments of error.
As such, we likewise reject Ms. Calise’s second, fourth, seventh, ninth, tenth, twelfth, fourteenth,
sixteenth, and nineteenth assignments of error. See Lorenzo v. Fuerst, 9th Dist. No. 17722, 1997
WL 13666, *9 (Jan. 8, 1997).
39
III.
{¶81} Ms. Calise’s assignments of error are overruled. The judgment of the Summit
County Court of Common Pleas is affirmed.
Judgment affirmed.
There were reasonable grounds for this appeal.
We order that a special mandate issue out of this Court, directing the Court of Common
Pleas, County of Summit, State of Ohio, to carry this judgment into execution. A certified copy
of this journal entry shall constitute the mandate, pursuant to App.R. 27.
Immediately upon the filing hereof, this document shall constitute the journal entry of
judgment, and it shall be file stamped by the Clerk of the Court of Appeals at which time the
period for review shall begin to run. App.R. 22(C). The Clerk of the Court of Appeals is
instructed to mail a notice of entry of this judgment to the parties and to make a notation of the
mailing in the docket, pursuant to App.R. 30.
Costs taxed to Appellant.
CARLA MOORE
FOR THE COURT
WHITMORE, P. J.
CONCURS.
40
BELFANCE, J.
CONCURRING IN JUDGMENT ONLY.
{¶82} I concur in the majority’s judgment because I believe that the results of Dr.
Lloyd’s experiment do not meet the reliability requirements of Evid.R. 702. However, my
reasons for coming to this conclusion differ from those of the majority.
{¶83} Evid.R. 702 governs the admissibility of expert testimony and requires that the
testimony meet all of the following requirements:
(A) The witness’ testimony either relates to matters beyond the knowledge
or experience possessed by lay persons or dispels a misconception
common among lay persons;
(B) The witness is qualified as an expert by specialized knowledge, skill,
experience, training, or education regarding the subject matter of the
testimony;
(C) The witness’ testimony is based on reliable scientific, technical, or
other specialized information. To the extent that the testimony reports the
result of a procedure, test, or experiment, the testimony is reliable only if
all of the following apply:
(1) The theory upon which the procedure, test, or experiment is based is
objectively verifiable or is validly derived from widely accepted
knowledge, facts, or principles;
(2) The design of the procedure, test, or experiment reliably implements
the theory;
(3) The particular procedure, test, or experiment was conducted in a way
that will yield an accurate result.
{¶84} There is little doubt that Dr. Lloyd qualifies as an expert of biomechanics. Dr.
Lloyd holds a doctorate in ergonomics. He is also the associate director of the Research Center
of Excellence and director of the Biomechanics Research Laboratory at the James A. Haley
Veterans Hospital. He has published 19 peer-reviewed articles and consistently presents at
national conventions on ergonomics and biomechanics.
41
{¶85} As Dr. Lloyd explained,
[A] biomechanist has to understand anatomy and physiology. As a biomechanist
I can say this amount of force would cause this kind of injury in a person of this
age, height, [and] weight. What I can’t say * * * because I’m not a medical
doctor is this force caused this injury in this person. * * * I can say the force
could cause a brain injury in a two[-]year[-]old, but I can’t say it caused the brain
injury in this two[-]year[-]old.
In other words, Dr. Lloyd did not intend to testify that Aaliyah fell and that caused her brain
injury. Instead, he intended to testify that his research showed that, if a child of her stature
slipped and fell in a bathtub, it could generate a certain amount of force and possibly cause the
injury Aaliyah sustained.
{¶86} However, “[b]ecause even a qualified expert is capable of rendering scientifically
unreliable testimony, it is imperative * * * to examine the principles and methodology that
underlie an expert’s opinion.” Valentine v. Conrad, 110 Ohio St.3d 42, 2006-Ohio-3561, ¶ 17.
Although Dr. Lloyd is certainly an expert in ergonomics and biomechanics, I cannot conclude
that the trial court erred when it excluded the results of his experiment because Dr. Lloyd did not
establish that they were reliable.
{¶87} “In evaluating the reliability of scientific evidence, several factors are to be
considered: (1) whether the theory or technique has been tested, (2) whether it has been subjected
to peer review, (3) whether there is a known or potential rate of error, and (4) whether the
methodology has gained general acceptance.” Miller v. Bike Athletic Co., 80 Ohio St.3d 607,
611 (1998), citing Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 509 U.S. 579, 593-594 (1993).
The focus must be on whether the expert’s opinion is based “upon scientifically valid
principles[.]” Miller at paragraph one of the syllabus. Dr. Lloyd’s experiment purported to
demonstrate that, should an infant fall in a bathtub, the fall could create enough force to cause
the injuries sustained by Aaliyah. To that end, Dr. Lloyd ran 25 tests, dropping a CRABI1
42
mannequin, the type of mannequin typically used in safety-testing for automobiles, of similar
size and weight to Aaliyah from three different positions around the bathtub to see what force
generated from the impact of its head on the tub. He then compared the force generated by the
falls to injury thresholds that have been developed from over 40 years of automotive-crash-
testing. He asserted that his results were conservative estimates of the force generated. In other
words, he claimed that any discrepancies between his experiment and the conditions where
Aaliyah potentially fell served to reduce the impact recorded in the experiment and, therefore, if
Aaliyah fell, the force from the impact would have been at least as great as those recorded in his
experiment.
{¶88} However, Dr. Lloyd did not conduct any control experiments nor did he point to
any studies that would support his assertion that his results were conservative. For example, he
stated that he “would have expected the results to be at least the same if not greater[]” if the
bathtub were made of a different material or installed in a different manner. In other words, Dr.
Lloyd’s presumption that his results were conservative was conjecture beyond the data available
to him. For this reason, Dr. Lloyd’s potential testimony cannot be said to have been reliable
because it was based upon assumptions that were not confirmed through scientific testing. See
Valentine, 110 Ohio St.3d 42, 2006-Ohio-3561, at ¶ 21 (affirming a trial court’s finding that
experts failed to adequately explain the scientific basis for their conclusions that required
extrapolation from the underlying materials).
{¶89} However, while I agree that the trial court correctly excluded the report, I disagree
with the majority that Dr. Lloyd failed to establish the reliability of his methods. The majority
concludes that the report is unreliable because Dr. Lloyd did not point to any other experiments
“comparable” to his experiment. However, as Dr. Lloyd pointed out, this general methodology
43
essentially has been done to study effects of automobile collisions for more than 40 years.
Furthermore, he testified that he used roller skates to simulate slips in his research for the
Veterans Hospital and also gave two examples of experiments using the type of mannequin that
he used to measure impact from falls. The first example was an experiment by a colleague that
recreated an infant’s fall from play equipment in the infant’s garage. The second example was
Dr. Lloyd and another researcher dropping mannequins out of beds of different heights from
different angles onto different surfaces to measure the forces of the resulting impacts. The
majority seems to believe that these examples are not comparable enough because one was a
precise recreation of a specific fall while the other dealt with falls from a bed onto the floor.
However, the fact that the play-equipment test was a recreation of an exact fall is irrelevant to
whether the methodology was comparable. The researchers in that test used the same type of
mannequin as Dr. Lloyd to determine what the impact would be if an infant were to fall from the
equipment onto a garage floor. Similarly, in the second example, Dr. Lloyd used a mannequin to
measure the impact sustained by an adult who fell out of bed. In other words, it was essentially
the same as the experiment conducted for this case, albeit with an adult-sized mannequin and no
bathtub. While neither of the experiments were exactly the same as the one conducted by Dr.
Lloyd in this case, they did both use the same general methodology.
{¶90} Thus, unlike the majority I believe these studies are comparable to the experiment
performed in this case in that the use of a mannequin and the simulation of a slip and fall can
provide data concerning the amount of force generated from a fall. Essentially, Dr. Lloyd
testified that the type of mannequin that he used to simulate Aaliyah’s potential fall is used in
many studies to measure the force resulting from an impact. The fact that Dr. Lloyd used the
mannequin to measure the force of a fall in a bathtub as opposed to a fall from a bed, a fall from
44
play equipment, or from an automobile crash is inconsequential to the question of whether his
methodology is widely accepted by other experts in his field. The techniques he used to measure
the force from a fall are widely accepted by others in his field. Furthermore, the principles of
mathematics and physics underlying the calculations of force are well established. To accept the
general theories and methods in Dr. Lloyd’s experiment would hardly be an example of the law
leading science but rather accepting principles accepted by experts for many, many years.
{¶91} I also disagree with the suggestion that a prerequisite to the admission of Dr.
Lloyd’s findings was that he demonstrate a precise recreation of the conditions in the bathtub.
“When an out-of-court experiment is not represented to be a reenactment of the accident and
deals with one aspect or principle directly related to the cause or result of the occurrence, the
conditions of the accident need not be duplicated.” Miller, 80 Ohio St.3d at paragraph two of the
syllabus. Here, Dr. Lloyd did not suggest that he had constructed a precise recreation of the
accident scene; instead, he employed both established techniques and scientific principles from
which he could measure the degree of force generated by a fall in a bathtub.
{¶92} Thus, I would conclude Dr. Lloyd’s proposed testimony did not meet the
reliability standards of Evid.R. 702 but not because he used unsound techniques or theories or
because he did not recreate the precise scene of the fall. Instead, Dr. Lloyd lacked a scientific
basis for concluding that the results of his experiment were conservative, see Valentine, 110
Ohio St.3d 42, 2006-Ohio-3561, at ¶ 21, because he did not conduct more extensive
experimentation to thoroughly test some of the assumptions underlying his experiment in this
case (e.g. the fact that the force from the impacts he measured was at the low end of the potential
forces generated from slipping and falling in a bathtub). While it is understandable that Dr.
45
Lloyd did not conduct a more thorough experiment given the timeline he operated under in this
case, his report still failed to meet the requirements of Evid.R. 702.
{¶93} With respect to Ms. Calise’s fourth assignment of error, Ms. Calise frames her
argument in terms of prosecutorial misconduct, arguing that the State had failed to disclose
exculpatory information during discovery. However, this claim is not supported by the record,
and, thus, I would overrule the assignment of error on that basis.
{¶94} Accordingly, I concur in the judgment.
APPEARANCES:
DONALD J. MALARCIK, Attorney at Law, for Appellant.
SHERRI BEVAN WALSH, Prosecuting Attorney, and RICHARD S. KASAY, Assistant
Prosecuting Attorney, for Appellee.