Opinion ID: 2581358
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Instruction on Limited Use of Defendant's Statements

Text: At the penalty phase, Dr. George Wilkinson, a psychiatrist, testified as a defense expert and gave a mental health assessment of defendant, based partially on reports and testing done by other physicians. On appeal, defendant contends that the trial court had a duty to instruct the jury on its own initiative that a defendant's statements made in an examination to diagnose or treat the defendant are admissible for the limited purpose of showing the information upon which the medical expert based his or her opinion. (CALJIC No. 2.10) As a subsequently written use note indicates, this instruction generally is applicable when the expert is court appointed and testifies at the guilt phase after the defendant has placed his mental condition in issue. (Use Note to CALJIC No. 2.10 (7th ed.2003); see People v. Nicolaus (1967) 65 Cal.2d 866, 879-880, 56 Cal.Rptr. 635, 423 P.2d 787.) Here, Dr. Wilkinson testified for the defense at the penalty phase. The trial court thus had no duty to give the instruction.