Opinion ID: 765436
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Failure to consult an expert in drug addiction and psychiatric trauma.

Text: 17 Wilson also argues that his trial counsel prejudicially erred by failing to consult a psychiatric expert. Insofar as such an expert would have testified, without examining Wilson, that it would be reasonable to act out of fear in a neighborhood rife with violence-prone crack addicts, such a general opinion is inadmissible under California Penal CodeS 289(a), because it would not concern whether Wilson had actually formed the required specific intent. To the extent that the nature of the neighborhood was relevant, a mere description of the events leading up to the shooting would suffice. Counsel's decision not to engage an expert for this reason did not prejudice Wilson. 18 Insofar as Wilson argues that such an expert should have been engaged to examine him to support a defense that his mental state precluded intent, it is not clear that counsel had reason to believe that such a defense would have been warranted. Although counsel was aware that Wilson had been beaten the day before the shooting, that fact alone does not raise the possibility of a strong mental state defense. A decision not to pursue testimony by a psychiatric expert, when no mental state defense seems likely, is not unreasonable under Strickland. See Williams v. Calderon, 52 F.3d 1465, 1471 (9th Cir. 1995) (holding that there was no ineffective assistance from failure to hire psychiatrist where there was no evidence that defendant not sane). 19