Opinion ID: 1906760
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: exclusion of defense witness based on state's action affecting the witness's memory

Text: In footnote 9, the majority makes its own fact finding that Ms. Wallech was not hypnotized in order to render her incompetent as a defense witness. This may be true, but we do not have any evidence or trial court fact finding, and how the majority divines this is certainly not contained in the record. All we know is that the State arranged for the hypnosis and now objects to the testimony about the witness's vastly enhanced and fully substantiated hypnotically revived memory. There is no basis for ruling out the possibility that this State agent was afraid that the witness's initial foggy memory might in time be naturally revived in a way not helpful to the State, and the purpose of the hypnotic session was to assure that it would be revived in a way the State agents desired. If so, the State could omit any mention of the hypnosis, or if they did not like what the hypnotically revived memory revealed, the State could disclose the hypnosis and preclude the witness's post-hypnotic testimony. The majority ascribes some bad motives to the detective, but excludes the possibility that his motive was to do what the State eventually did, i.e., bar the witness's post-hypnotically refreshed memory when it proved to be unfavorable to the State. We know the use of hypnosis by law enforcement agencies is on the increase and is now being used extensively. Since the early 1970's, a growing number of law enforcement agencies have been hypnotizing crime victims and witnesses in order to penetrate clouded or repressed memories of the episode and elicit details useful as new investigate leads, to facilitate the identification of a suspect, or to resolve contradictions or fill gaps in the subject's expected courtroom testimony. 77 A.L.R. 4th, § 2[a], at 932-33 (footnote omitted). We know the State Police employ at least one investigative hypnotist. While I do not like raising the possibility of improper police action, there is the theoretical possibility that the police will use hypnosis to interrogate witnesses with foggy memories, and if the memory adduced under hypnosis is favorable to the prosecution, the police hypnotist would implant the post-hypnotic suggestion that the witness will not remember any hypnotic interrogation. On the other hand, if the witness's hypnotically enhanced memory is unfavorable to the prosecution, the hypnosis will bar use of that testimony by the defendant. This Court's holding that a witness's observations recounted for the first time during hypnosis are inadmissible in a trial may cause incalculable harm. If the State can preclude a witness from testifying about memories first disclosed under hypnosis, I assume defendants may also do so. Just by way of example, say a parent who has been abusing a child suspects the police are going to interview the child, so the parent takes the child to a hypnotist. Under hypnosis the child is asked for the first time if there was abuse by the parent. Of course, the child will answer in the affirmative but, according to the majority's holding, the child will never be able to testify to the abuse because the memory was first disclosed under hypnosis. For the many reasons expressed herein, I respectfully dissent. Chief Judge BELL has authorized me to state that he joins in the views expressed in this dissenting opinion. ELDRIDGE, Judge, dissenting. I would reserve and remand for a new trial for the reasons set forth in that portion of Judge Chasanow's opinion dealing with the Supreme Court's opinion in Rock v. Arkansas, 483 U.S. 44, 107 S.Ct. 2704, 97 L.Ed.2d 37 (1987).