Opinion ID: 2576153
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Newman's failure to keep confidential the appointment of Dr. Root

Text: Defendant next contends that, in seeking the appointment of Dr. Root as the defense pathologist, Newman failed to follow the procedures set forth in section 987.9, which allow the defense to apply to the court on a confidential basis for funds for the payment of experts. Defendant contends that Newman's failures in this regard permitted the prosecution to learn of Dr. Root's unfavorable conclusions and to call him as a rebuttal witness at the guilt phase, with devastating results. At the time of defendant's trial, section 987.9 provided, as it does today in subdivision (a), that the fact that an application [by an indigent defendant for reasonably necessary funds for the payment of experts] has been made shall be confidential and the contents of the application shall be confidential. The confidentiality provision evidently was intended to prevent the prosecution from anticipating defense strategy. ( People v. Anderson (1987) 43 Cal.3d 1104, 1132, 240 Cal.Rptr. 585, 742 P.2d 1306.) Despite the existence of this confidentiality provision, Newman requested the appointment of Dr. Root in open court in the presence of the prosecutor, who informed the defense and the court that he knew Dr. Root on a social basis and had called him as a witness several times. Newman also filed an unsealed, written motion requesting the appointment of Dr. Root. After the defense had presented its case-in-chief, however, Newman informed the court that the defense would not be calling Dr. Root. The prosecutor then stated: Dr. Root is here. The defense told Dr. Root to leave. But I had a chance to talk to Dr. Root briefly, and I intend to call Dr. Root. Dr. Root then testified in the prosecution's rebuttal case that, contrary to the defense position, cyanide poisoning caused the brain damage and pneumonia that led to Green's death. Newman later informed the court that he had advised defendant against calling Dr. Root to testify, but defendant had subpoenaed him anyway. The record does not reflect whether Newman had a tactical basis for declining to keep Dr. Root's appointment confidential, and it would be proper for us to reject defendant's contention on this basis. ( People v. Mendoza Tello, supra, 15 Cal.4th at pp. 266-267, 62 Cal.Rptr.2d 437, 933 P.2d 1134.) In any event, defendant fails to establish that the failure to keep Dr. Root's appointment confidential prejudiced him. It was defendant's own choice to subpoena Dr. Root against Newman's advice, and it was that subpoena that brought Dr. Root to court and resulted in the prosecutor's interview with him. Moreover, even had the prosecutor never learned of Dr. Root's opinion concerning defendant's case and never called him to testify, it is not reasonably probable that the outcome of the guilt phase would have been different. (See People v. Bloom, supra, 48 Cal.3d at pp. 1226-1227, 259 Cal.Rptr. 669, 774 P.2d 698.) The prosecution presented the testimony of Green's treating physician, Dr. Becker, who testified that cyanide poisoning caused her brain damage and resulting complications. Dr. Gray, who had performed the autopsy on Green, testified that Green died of pneumonia, a complication of the brain damage caused by the cyanide poisoning. The testimony of defendant's own experts was not to the contrary. Dr. Latif agreed with Dr. Becker concerning the cause of Green's condition, and Dr. Itabashi could not say what had caused Green's death. Under these circumstances, it does not appear that a more favorable result was reasonably probable had Dr. Root not testified that cyanide poisoning caused Green's death. [16]