Opinion ID: 2143669
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Past Crime Evidence

Text: The defendant asserts that the State was allowed to impeach, discredit and unfairly prejudice [him] through cross examination about and the extrinsic evidence about the facts underlying [his] 1959 assault conviction through the guise or artifice of attacking [defense psychologist's] opinion on the defendant's behavioral deficiencies. The defendant also claims that he did not open the door to such evidence by presenting the psychologist's testimony because the testimony did not mislead the jury. Although no insanity defense was filed, the defendant, over the State's objection, presented the testimony of a neuro-psychologist who had interviewed and tested the defendant to determine his mental condition and behavioral deficiencies. The psychologist did not indicate that the defendant was insane. Having reviewed the defendant's medical history dating back to 1968, the psychologist related that the defendant had suffered two incidents of trauma to his brain, which resulted in chronic organic brain disorder. The disorder was caused in part by an embolism that entered the defendant's brain while he was undergoing surgery around 1968. Basing his determination on the tests and the defendant's medical history, the psychologist concluded that the defendant's organic brain disorder reduced his capacity to handle stressful situations, to make judgments, and to control his impulses, especially fear. The defendant's actions in the present case, the psychologist stated, were consistent with his organic brain disorder. [1] On cross-examination, the psychologist stated that the defendant had told him of an assault conviction in 1949 that was related to a domestic dispute. Upon reviewing his report, the psychologist said he believed that two separate incidents were involved, the assault and an unrelated incident of the defendant striking his wife in the early 1970s. On re-direct, the psychologist stated that he saw no connection between the earlier incidents of violence and the defendant's acts in the present case. On cross-examination of the defendant, the prosecutor asked the following question: Earlier, the Psychologist testified that you have told him that you were convicted of an assault back in 1949, is that the correct year? Record at 635. Defense counsel objected and offered to show that the conviction was in 1959. Defense counsel asserted that delving into the facts of the assault conviction was irrelevant, improper impeachment, and a reference to inadmissible evidence of past crimes. The prosecutor responded that the facts underlying the assault conviction were relevant to show that prior to the defendant's embolism he had shown violent behavior. The trial court overruled the defendant's objection and granted him a continuing objection to the evidence of the assault conviction. The State thereafter asked the defendant about the facts of the assault, in which he struck in the head a person with whom he had fought two weeks before. In the State's rebuttal, the prosecutor who handled the 1959 assault case against the defendant testified about the facts of the case and its outcome. The defendant did not object to the cross-examination on the grounds that it exceeded the scope of direct examination. He instead objected and now asserts that the cross-examination and rebuttal were improper impeachment and inadmissible evidence of past crimes. Were it not for the psychologist's testimony, we would agree with the defendant. Evidence that shows the defendant's commission of unrelated crimes is generally inadmissible to prove his guilt. Chinn v. State (1987), Ind., 511 N.E.2d 1000; Maldonado v. State (1976), 265 Ind. 492, 355 N.E.2d 843. However, evidence of unrelated criminal activity that is relevant to a fact in issue is not inadmissible solely because it tends to show the defendant's guilt of another crime. Christopher v. State (1988), Ind., 531 N.E.2d 480; Maldonado, 265 Ind. 492, 355 N.E.2d 843. Regarding impeachment, only convictions for crimes involving dishonesty or false statement, or infamous crimes including treason, murder, rape, arson, burglary, robbery, and kidnapping may be used to impeach a witness. Trice v. State (1988), Ind., 519 N.E.2d 535; Ashton v. Anderson (1972), 258 Ind. 51, 279 N.E.2d 210. In the present case, the State attempted to refute the opinion of the defendant's psychologist by attacking the information upon which it was based as well as its conclusion. The evidence of the facts of the 1959 assault conviction tended to refute the psychologist's opinion regarding the defendant's reduced capacity to handle stress and fear following the 1968 brain embolism and resulting organic brain disorder. Evidence of pre-existing behavioral deficiencies is especially relevant in this case because the psychologist only reviewed the defendant's medical history since 1968. In this regard, the evidence was not offered as proof of the defendant's guilt of the murder and thus was not erroneously admitted for that reason. See Drollinger v. State (1980), 274 Ind. 99, 103-04, 409 N.E.2d 1084, 1087 (cross-examination of defendant about officer who allegedly filed several unrelated charges against defendant held proper where defendant asserted that officer had harassed him). [2] The questioning of the defendant about information he provided the psychologist was also relevant to show the basis upon which the opinion was formed. The jury was entitled to know the basis upon which it was formed to assist them in assessing the weight it should be accorded. Ferrier v. State (1987), Ind., 514 N.E.2d 285, 288. The psychologist stated that he did consider the defendant's assault conviction, although he discounted its importance in his decision-making. The defendant's answers indicate that he may have provided the psychologist with an incomplete history of his violent acts, which indicated behavioral deficiencies. In essence, the State's principal purpose was to attack the reliability of the psychologist's opinion, not to impeach the defendant by improper means. The questioning and rebuttal evidence therefore do not constitute improper impeachment. The defendant has failed to demonstrate error on this issue.