Opinion ID: 1730076
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: testimony as to mental condition

Text: The trial court excluded appellant's offer of evidence from a witness designated a clinical social worker, who then testified by avowal that in his opinion the appellant would not have become involved with the twelve year old victim because based on (appellant's) psychological development, by history, this victim was too young to attract the appellant. There are a number of reasons why we affirm the trial court in this respect: 1) Appellant offered no evidence to show that this witness was qualified as an expert to express an opinion. We will not review a claim of error in rejecting expert testimony in the absence of an offer of proof by avowal that the witness was an expert. cf. East Ky. Rural Elec. Coop. Corp. v. Smith, Ky., 310 S.W.2d 535 (1958); Freeman v. Oliver M. Elam, Jr. Co., Ky., 372 S.W.2d 796 (1963). 2) The testimony as proffered went to the ultimate question of the guilt or innocence of the appellant, rather than being limited to a professional opinion regarding mental condition. As such it invades the province of the jury and is thereby improper. As stated in Koester v. Commonwealth, Ky., 449 S.W.2d 213 (1969): This may appear hypertechnical and the drawing of a fine line between admissible and inadmissible evidence, but the line is there. It is a distinction between the capability or incapability of the accused and his actual mental attitude at a particular place and time. It is the difference between an objective opinion and a subjective conclusion. (case cited) Or put another way, it is the difference between the mental abnormality and the specific `product' produced thereby. Id. at 215. 3) Appellant contends this evidence was admissible as mitigating evidence, citing Lockett v. Ohio, 438 U.S. 586, 98 S.Ct. 2954, 57 L.Ed.2d 973 (1978). It suffices to say that although the United States Supreme Court mandates the right to present mitigating evidence as relevant during the penalty phase in death penalty cases, there is no authority for such evidence in other circumstances. The statutory law in Kentucky regarding sentencing is to the contrary. Our statutes establish a two-step procedure. First, the jury sets a punishment to fit the crime. They consider the facts and circumstances relevant to the commission of the crime and pick a punishment within the range provided by the statute which is appropriate to the particular circumstances. Next, the judge orders a Pre-Sentence Investigative Report, KRS 532.050; RCr 11.02, affords the defendant an opportunity to present any information in mitigation of punishment which he deems appropriate, and, given this background information, decides whether the sentence for this particular individual should be less than what the jury has decided is otherwise appropriate. KRS 532.070, Court Modification of Jury Sentencing. He must also decide whether probation would be appropriate. KRS 533.010. Even assuming the evidence was offered in proper form by a qualified expert, it is only in the second stage of a bifurcated trial where the death penalty is at issue that background information regarding mitigating circumstances of the type offered here has relevancy for jury consideration. The trial court properly excluded such evidence as not relevant to the jury's function in fixing punishment. The judgment is affirmed. All concur.