Opinion ID: 513484
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Court's Limitation of Malina Blades' Cross-Examination.

Text: 18 Kinslow contends that the district court improperly limited his cross-examination of Malina Blades, in violation of his rights under the confrontation clause, when it sustained the government's objection to a question on the grounds of privilege. 1 Whether or not a witness holds a certain privilege in a federal criminal trial is an issue governed exclusively by Federal Rule of Evidence 501. A psychotherapist-patient privilege has been recognized and upheld in federal criminal prosecutions, see United States v. Friedman, 636 F.Supp. 462, 462-63 (S.D.N.Y.1986), and courts have generally recognized the need to balance the benefit gained by free disclosure with the need to protect the patient and the relationship. Id., at 462. See also United States v. Brown, 479 F.Supp. 1247, 1253-54 (D.Md.1979) (recognizing the need to balance the defendant's opportunity to conduct a full cross-examination with the patient's privacy interests). 19 Regardless of whether a valid privilege existed, however, the district court cannot be said to have abused its discretion in sustaining the government's objection. After the government's objection was sustained, Kinslow's counsel failed to pursue the matter with the court or advise the court of his purpose behind this line of questioning. See United States v. Martinez, 776 F.2d 1481, 1485 (10th Cir.1985) (issue of whether the district court erroneously curtailed cross-examination was not properly preserved for appeal where defense counsel failed to object to the curtailment or to explain his purpose behind the line of questioning). On this minimal record, we cannot say that the court committed reversible error in sustaining the government's objection. 20