Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District / Jan 15, 2019
State of Missouri vs. Gena Keel
Gena Keel appealed her conviction for possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to use, following a bench trial. The trial court admitted an officer's testimony about a crystal substance on a digital scale and a field test indicating amphetamine, despite objections to its scientific reliability. The appellate court reversed the conviction, holding that the State failed to present sufficient evidence that the residue on the scale was a controlled substance, as the officer's visual observation and field test results were not admitted to prove the substance's nature.