United States Court of Appeals FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT ___________

No. 99-3839 ___________

Marie Chapman, * * Appellee, * * Appeal from the United States v. * District Court for the Western * District of Arkansas. Western Arkansas Anesthesiology * Associates, P.A.; Irene France, * [UNPUBLISHED] * Appellants. * ___________

Submitted: April 10, 2000

Filed: April 19, 2000 ___________

Before McMILLIAN and FAGG, Circuit Judges, and ROSENBAUM,* District Judge. ___________

PER CURIAM.

Western Arkansas Anesthesiology Associates, P.A. and Irene France (collectively the appellants) appeal the judgment of the district court entered on a jury verdict holding them liable in Marie Chapman's medical malpractice action. After careful consideration of the record and the parties' briefs, we conclude the district court correctly rejected the appellants' claim that the testimony of Chapman's medical expert

* The Honorable James M. Rosenbaum, United States District Judge for the District of Minnesota, sitting by designation. should have been excluded because the expert was not familiar with the standard of care for a certified registered nurse anesthetist in the Fort Smith, Arkansas, locality in which the appellants practice or a similar community. We also conclude that an extensive discussion would serve no useful precedential purpose in this diversity-based case. Having concluded the district court's ruling is correct, we thus affirm the judgment of the district court. See 8th Cir. R. 47B.

A true copy.

Attest:

CLERK, U.S. COURT OF APPEALS, EIGHTH CIRCUIT.

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