Farley v. Commonwealth

MOON, Chief Judge.

Newton Wesley Farley, Jr., while turkey hunting, shot and killed another hunter. Farley was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and reckless handling of a firearm. He contends that the trial court erred in refusing to admit expert psychological testimony to explain how he could have misidentified the hunter for a turkey. A cardinal rule of hunting is that the hunter identify his target before shooting. Because the trial court found the psychologist to be an expert and his scientific testimony to be reliable, and because we find the proffered testimony to be relevant and…