State v. Prince, ___ N.C. App. ___, 805 S.E.2d 304 (Sept. 5, 2017)

In this child abuse case, the expert witness’s testimony did not constitute improper vouching for the victim. At trial Holly Warner, a nurse practitioner, testified as an expert. Warner had evaluated the victim after he was placed in foster care. At trial she related what the victim told her about his injuries and what she observed during her evaluation of him before she gave her medical opinion. When she related the victim’s disclosure about how his injury occurred and who caused them, Warner was describing her process for gathering necessary information to make a medical diagnosis and was not commenting on the victim’s credibility. In neither her direct examination nor cross-examination did Warner state that the child was believable, credible or telling the truth.