Opinion ID: 1768458
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: was the appellant denied due process by the testimony of the prosecution's expert regarding her disagreement with the appellant's mental health expert?

Text: The appellant claims that he was denied due process in the sentencing phase of his trial because the Commonwealth was allowed to present a mental health expert to denigrate his mitigation evidence; namely, the existence of Extreme Emotional Disturbance (EED). Sanborn argues that this expert, Dr. Victoria Skelton, attacked the credibility and validity of his expert's testimony (Dr. Phillip Johnson), mischaracterized the nature of his expert's testimony, and suggested to the jury that such mitigating evidence should be considered as aggravating evidence. Sanborn argues that Dr. Skelton offered an improper opinion on the ultimate issue of appellant's specific mental state at the time of the crime. He claims that it was error for Dr. Skelton to testify that, based on her evaluations of the appellant, his actions (crimes) were contemplated, from which the prosecutor elicited that Dr. Skelton believed the acts were equivalent to being premeditated. Counsel for the appellant argues that this testimony is in direct violation of Rose v. Commonwealth, Ky., 725 S.W.2d 588 (1987). In Rose , this Court distinguished testimony about the accused's mental condition from that about the accused's mental state at the time the crime was committed. Id. at 591. The appellant further claims that Skelton's testimony goes more to the ultimate issue than did the testimony of Dr. Johnson. Dr. Johnson testified, based on the appellant's story, that the appellant was in a state of rage on the night of the murder, and appellant argues that this testimony was relevant to the appellant's mental state, but that this does not go to the ultimate fact in issue. It should be noted that Dr. Skelton merely expressed her opinion, based upon her evaluations and information which she had about the appellant, that his actions were contemplated. A jury is not bound by the testimony of an expert and may choose to disbelieve the expert's opinion. In this case, the jury could have found the testimony of Dr. Johnson, that the appellant acted in a state of rage, to be a more accurate characterization of his mental status at the time the murder occurred. The appellant also argues that the Commonwealth's expert unfairly denigrated the testimony of his mental health expert by insinuating that Dr. Johnson, a psychologist, was in an inferior position and was less qualified than Dr. Skelton, a psychiatrist. He further argues that the Commonwealth undermined the effectiveness of his expert testimony by questioning his methods through the testimony of Dr. Skelton. The appellant broadly overstates the law concerning Kentucky's recognition of the difference between the abilities of a psychiatrist and a psychologist to provide expert testimony. Pointing to Rose v. Commonwealth, id. at page 591, the appellant claims that there is no difference between the two. Rose simply does not stand for this principle. It states: This was a registered nurse rather than a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist trained to diagnose mental conditions in specific individuals. The appellant further argues that the Commonwealth should not have been allowed to attack the expert testimony of Dr. Johnson. He claims it is the role of the jury to determine the credibility of a witness and not the role of another witness to do this. However, the credibility of expert testimony is subject to attack and cross-examination by the opponent of such testimony. Edwards v. Commonwealth, Ky., 554 S.W.2d 380, 385 (1977). In this instance, the Commonwealth on direct examination asked Dr. Skelton how she determined her opinion that the appellant's acts were premeditated. She responded to the effect that she based her opinion on the reports and records on the appellant instead of basing her opinion on what the appellant told her. She claimed she used this practice because antisocial personalities tend to be untruthful. This method was shown to be in contrast to that employed by Dr. Johnson, who based his opinion upon his interviewing of the appellant. Dr. Johnson testified that he was unsure of the truthfulness of the statements, but opined that appellant was likely in a rage on the night he killed Mrs. Heilman. This testimony of Dr. Skelton was not elicited so as to denigrate that of Dr. Johnson, but rather, so as to contrast it with his in order for the jury to best determine which explanation of the defendant's mental state was more accurate and to account for the differences in opinion.