Opinion ID: 2648680
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Other Bad Acts and Lack of Remorse

Text: The testimony at issue under this subpoint relates to Lard’s defense of mental disease or defect and arose during the State’s cross-examination of one of Lard’s expert witnesses and during the State’s case in rebuttal. To place these matters in context, it is necessary to recount the pertinent testimony in detail. Dr. Barry Crown, a neuropsychologist, testified on Lard’s behalf. He conducted a clinical interview of Lard and administered a series of tests to gauge Lard’s intellectual functioning. Crown stated that it was important to obtain basic information about a person during an interview in order to place the test results in context. Crown testified that Lard’s intellectual functioning was impaired. Although Crown stated that Lard was not mentally retarded, he said that Lard’s full-scale intelligence quotient of 70 met the intellectual criteria for mental retardation, and he placed Lard’s age equivalency at ten years and five months. Crown testified that persons with a low IQ have difficulty “figuring things out” and that it is hard for those individuals to imagine and to think in abstract terms. He further testified that Lard had organic brain damage impacting the bilateral frontotemporal lobe functioning, which led to functional impairments in memory, reasoning, judgment, and language-based critical thinking. He attributed Lard’s deficits either to multiple head trauma with loss of consciousness or to methamphetamine abuse beginning at age seventeen. Crown offered the opinion that Lard’s ability to conform his conduct to the requirements of the law was impaired. In further testimony, Crown said that his testing did not lead him to believe that 10 Cite as 2014 Ark. 1 Lard suffered from antisocial personality disorder. He also testified that it is not appropriate to make that diagnosis when there is evidence of brain damage. During the State’s cross-examination, Crown acknowledged that Lard attended school through the seventh grade, did not take special-education classes, lived on his own since age sixteen, had a cell phone, sent text messages, took care of his own hygiene, and kept himself fed and clothed. Crown stated that Lard also told him that he had been expelled from three different schools, but Crown was not certain whether Lard revealed that he was kicked out of one school for hitting someone over the head with a metal chair. Crown testified that he was not aware that Lard had lost one job after handcuffing the boss’s son to a scaffold and kicking him off of it. Over Lard’s objection, the State was allowed to ask Crown whether Lard told him that he had manufactured methamphetamine. Crown replied that Lard had not. The State further questioned Crown about the criteria for diagnosing antisocial personality disorder, as involving a pervasive pattern of disregarding the rights of others occurring since age fifteen, as indicated by three or more behaviors out of a list of seven behavioral categories.5 Crown stated that Lard recounted a history of fights and aggressive 5 According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), the diagnostic criteria for antisocial personality disorder involves a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others occurring since age fifteen, as indicated by three (or more) of the following: (1) the failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors, as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest; (2) deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure; (3) impulsivity or failure to plan ahead; (4) irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults; (5) reckless disregard for safety of self or others; (6) consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent 11 Cite as 2014 Ark. 1 behavior; several arrests; numerous thefts, including the theft of a car; intentionally damaging the property of others; starting fires, beginning at age fifteen; cruelty to animals, including setting a cat on fire; and losing jobs as a result of aggressive behavior. Crown acknowledged that Lard met four or five of the criteria for antisocial personality disorder, but Crown maintained that he did not make that diagnosis based on his opinion that Lard had brain damage in the areas that create many of the same symptoms. Crown further testified that Lard had admitted that he was fearful of being arrested because of a warrant for his arrest at the time of the shooting. Dr. Courtney Rocho, a psychologist, testified for the State in rebuttal. Rocho conducted a forensic interview of Lard, and she stated that she relied on historical information provided by Lard in forming her opinions. Over Lard’s objection, she said that Lard related a history of disciplinary problems in school involving multiple suspensions and expulsions. Rocho testified that Lard had told her that school administrators once placed him in isolation for striking a school official over the head with a metal chair. She stated that Lard described other antisocial behavior showing a history of impulsivity, aggression, irritability, irresponsibility, and repeated unlawful acts. These behaviors included cruelty to animals, beginning at age nine, as Lard had admitted kicking animals and setting a cat on fire; causing damage to the property of others; and stealing, starting at age twelve, including the theft of a car. Based on the litany of behaviors Lard described, Rocho diagnosed Lard with antisocial work behavior or honor financial obligations; and (7) lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another. 12 Cite as 2014 Ark. 1 personality disorder. She testified that he had this conduct disorder at age fifteen and that Lard continued this behavior throughout his life. In her testimony, Rocho also noted problems in the manner in which Crown administered the IQ test. She further testified that Lard did not have a mental disease or defect and that he was functioning appropriate to his age of thirty-seven years old at the time of her examination. Rocho stated that Lard could think ahead and that he had the ability to deliberate and make a choice of conduct among different options. She expressed the view that Lard had the capacity to appreciate the criminality of his conduct and that he had the ability to conform his conduct to the requirements of the law. Dr. Raymond Molden, a psychiatrist, concurred in the diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder. In addition to the behavioral criteria noted by Dr. Rocho, he also noted that a lack of remorse was consistent with that diagnosis. Molden further testified that he did not find any evidence of brain damage, noting that the PET scan revealed no frontal-lobe damage and showed only slightly less than average brain activity at the mesial temporal lobes. He also stated that Lard’s level of functioning was inconsistent with someone who had brain damage. Molden testified that Lard did not have a mental disease or defect, and he stated that Lard had the capacity both to appreciate the criminality of his conduct and conform his conduct to the requirements of the law. He said that his opinion was influenced in part by Lard’s description of how he once had a family member pawn a gun for him because he knew that, as a felon, he could not pawn the weapon himself.6 In rebuttal, the State also presented the testimony of a jailer who overheard Lard say 6 At Lard’s request, the circuit court admonished the jury to disregard this comment. 13 Cite as 2014 Ark. 1 to an inmate, “It’s funny that I shot one cop and the other one is still walking. I should have shot him, too.” Another jailer also testified that he heard Lard tell an inmate that the only thing he regretted about that night was that he “didn’t get the other motherfucker, too.” On appeal, Lard contends that the circuit court erred in overruling his objections scattered throughout the testimony of these witnesses identifying multiple instances of other bad acts and character evidence. He also claims error in the admission of testimony indicating a lack of remorse. We disagree with Lard’s arguments. Rule 703 of the Arkansas Rules of Evidence provides that, if the facts upon which an expert bases his or her opinion are of a type reasonably relied upon by experts in the particular field in forming opinions on the subject, the facts need not be admissible in evidence. Under this rule, an expert witness must be allowed to disclose to the jury the factual basis for his or her opinion because the opinion would otherwise be unsupported, and the jury would be left with little, if any, means of evaluating its correctness. See House v. Volunteer Transp. Co., 365 Ark. 11, 223 S.W.3d 798 (2006); J.E. Merit Constructors v. Cooper, 345 Ark. 136, 44 S.W.3d 336 (2001). In this case, Lard squarely placed his mental status in issue by asserting the defense of mental disease or defect. In support of that defense, he offered expert testimony that he had sustained brain damage as evidenced by a low IQ and a PET scan showing decreased activity in the mesial frontotemporal lobes. In rebuttal, the State presented opposing expert testimony diagnosing Lard with antisocial personality disorder. According to the testimony, this disorder is characterized by a pervasive pattern of certain behaviors exhibited since age fifteen. The State’s witnesses testified that the history of misconduct related by Lard and his lack of 14 Cite as 2014 Ark. 1 remorse following the incident formed the basis for the diagnosis. It is clear to this court that the testimony of the State’s experts revealing other bad acts committed by Lard was offered for the purpose of supporting the opinions reached by the State’s experts by apprising the jury of the factual basis underlying the diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder. For that reason, the testimony was independently relevant and admissible. Miller v. State, 2010 Ark. 1, 362 S.W.3d 264 (holding that testimony concerning previous acts of violence was admissible where the information formed the basis of the forensic evaluator’s opinion). We also note that the circuit court properly instructed the jury that the evidence of alleged crimes, wrongs, and acts was not to be considered as proof that Lard acted in conformity with those behaviors and that the evidence was merely offered as a factor considered by the expert witnesses in evaluating Lard’s mental status. We also conclude that the circuit court did not abuse its discretion by permitting the jailers’ testimony indicating that Lard lacked remorse for killing Officer Schmidt. As noted by Dr. Molden, lack of remorse is one of the criteria for diagnosing antisocial personality disorder. The jailers’ testimony did not violate Rule 404(b) because it was not offered as character evidence. Rather, the testimony was independently relevant to refute Lard’s claim of mental disease or defect, as the testimony provided support for the experts’ opinions that Lard had this disorder and not a mental disease or defect. See Wood v. State, 280 Ark. 248, 657 S.W.2d 528 (1983) (holding in murder prosecution that testimony of the defendant’s sexual relationship with his daughter was admissible to rebut the defense of mental disease or defect). 15 Cite as 2014 Ark. 1 With one exception, the State was also entitled to question Dr. Crown regarding the acts of misconduct. This court has traditionally taken the view that the cross-examiner should be given wide latitude because cross-examination is the means by which to test the truth of the witness’s testimony and the witness’s credibility. McCoy v. State, 2010 Ark. 373, 370 S.W.3d 241; Fowler v. State, 339 Ark. 207, 5 S.W.3d 10 (1999); Wilson v. State, 289 Ark. 141, 712 S.W.2d 654 (1986). This court has held that once an expert is qualified, the weaknesses in any factual underpinning of the expert’s opinion may be exposed on cross-examination, and such a weakness goes to the weight and credibility of the expert’s testimony. Suggs v. State, 322 Ark. 40, 907 S.W.2d 124 (1995). Here, it was permissible for the State to challenge the factual basis for Dr. Crown’s opinion that Lard did not have antisocial personality disorder and to test whether Dr. Crown’s rejection of that diagnosis was made with full knowledge of Lard’s past behaviors and history. Even if there was error in the State’s cross-examination of Dr. Crown, the error would be harmless because the evidence was properly admitted during the rebuttal testimony of the State’s witnesses. Prejudice cannot be demonstrated where erroneously admitted evidence is merely cumulative to other evidence that is properly admitted. Holloway v. State, 2013 Ark. 140, ___ S.W.3d ___. The exception is the question asked of Dr. Crown about Lard’s manufacturing of methamphetamine. In this respect, the circuit court allowed the State to inquire if Lard disclosed that he had manufactured this substance. Unlike the other behaviors, we perceive little independent relevance for this testimony. However, we discern no reversible error. Lard relied on his past use of methamphetamine in support of his claim of brain damage, and 16 Cite as 2014 Ark. 1 he introduced testimony indicating his chronic use of that substance. The reference to manufacturing methamphetamine during the State’s cross-examination of Dr. Crown was brief, and no other testimony on the subject was elicited. We have held that, even when a circuit court errs in admitting evidence, we may declare the error harmless and affirm when the evidence of guilt is overwhelming and the error is slight. Kelley v. State, 2009 Ark. 389, 327 S.W.3d 373; see also Miller, supra (recognizing that the components of harmless-error analysis applicable to an evidentiary ruling in the guilt phase of a capital-murder trial are whether there is overwhelming evidence of guilt and the error is slight). That is the case here. Given the overwhelming evidence of guilt, we conclude that the error in admitting this testimony was harmless.