Opinion ID: 1980604
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Miranda Warnings and the State's Physician

Text: Taylor contends that the privilege against self-incrimination extends to psychiatric examinations. This Court so held long ago. Haskett v. State (1970), 255 Ind. 206, 263 N.E.2d 529. Some years later, the U.S. Supreme Court held a defendant must receive Miranda warnings before participating in a court-ordered psychiatric exam if his statements are to be used to prove his future dangerousness in the penalty phase of a capital trial. Estelle, 451 U.S. at 468, 101 S.Ct. at 1875. It is also well-established, however, that a defendant is not entitled to Miranda warnings when he raises the issue of his own sanity at the time of the offense. In Estelle, the Court limited its holding to cases in which the defendant neither initiates a psychiatric evaluation nor attempts to introduce any psychiatric evidence. Estelle, 451 U.S. at 468, 101 S.Ct. at 1876. Later in Buchanan v. Kentucky, 483 U.S. 402, 107 S.Ct. 2906, 97 L.Ed.2d 336 (1987), the Court had occasion to apply this rule. In Buchanan, the defense joined the State in requesting a psychiatric examination of the defendant to determine if he should receive treatment pending trial. When the defendant raised the defense of extreme emotional distress at trial, the State responded by offering the physician's evaluation in rebuttal. The Court held that once a defendant requests such an evaluation or presents psychiatric evidence, then, at the very least, the prosecution may rebut this presentation with evidence from the reports of the examination that the defendant requested. Id. at 422-23,107 S.Ct. at 2917-18. Such was our reasoning in Dickson v. State (1989), Ind., 533 N.E.2d 586, where a defendant pled insanity and then challenged his conviction when the court-appointed psychiatrists did not support his defense. We explained that [t]he necessity of advising appellant concerning his right to remain silent did not arise since the examinations were initiated and approved by him. Id. at 588; see also Mahaffey v. State (1984), Ind., 459 N.E.2d 380, 382 ([The defendant] initiated the psychiatric examination when he filed his special plea of insanity, and accepted the fact that he would be then subject to psychiatric examination and evaluation for the purpose of generating evidence admissible in the oncoming trial and useful to the prosecution in defeating his position.). Taylor was not entitled to Miranda warnings prior to his interview with Dr. Crane. Taylor had ample opportunity to consult with counsel regarding his defense, and together they chose to plead insanity with full knowledge that Taylor might have to submit to psychiatric testing by the State. Furthermore, Dr. Crane did not err by failing to identify himself as an agent of the State. Crane did not misrepresent himself as a defense expert, and he expressly told Taylor the interview would not remain confidential. Supp. R. at 649. Moreover, Taylor's objection suggests only that had he known with whom he was meeting, he would have tailored his responses to his audience. This, of course, would defeat the purpose of the exam.