Dr Martin MacNeill trial: Douglas Rollins, toxicology expect may not be allowed to testify
A judge said Wednesday that one of the prosecution’s toxicologists might not be allowed to testify at Dr. Martin MacNeill’s trial because the “methods he used are not generally accepted by the scientific community.”
Martin MacNeill
The judge stated he would reserve ruling on the admissibility of testimony by Douglas Rollins, a retired professor of pharmacology, but he told prosecutors they will need to elicit more foundation for Rollins’ opinions if they want him to allow the testimony.
Rollins work is described on the University of Utah website:
“The major interests of Dr. Rollins’ laboratory are in development of sensitive and specific analytical methods using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry for measurements of drugs in a variety of human tissues. A particular research interest is investigation of the binding and incorporation of drugs of abuse into hair, with the view towards the potential forensic application in humans.”
“That really hurts the state,” HLN’s Nancy Grace said of the ruling. Grace has been covering the trial live, “gavel-to-gavel” according HLN.
Opening statements in the trial are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET Thursday.
MacNeill is accused of manipulating the drugs taken by his wife Michele so that she would ingest a lethal dose. He quickly had another woman move in with him after her death which raised even more concerns by his own children.
Check out more details on the case and jury selection here
