Opinion ID: 2615951
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: whether the state's psychiatrists should have been permitted to testify

Text: At the trial, Steelman relied on the defense of insanity and called Dr. James Peale who had examined him in connection with some of the charges in California. Dr. Peale testified that Steelman was M'Naghten insane at the time of the Sandberg murders. To rebut this testimony, the State called four psychiatrists. Among them were Drs. Kenneth Rogerson and Robert Austin who had examined the defendant on the day of his arrest. Steelman contends that the admission of the testimony of the doctors was error for two reasons. First, Steelman contends that Dr. Rogerson and Dr. Austin should have been precluded from testifying because of the physician-patient privilege. Second, Steelman contends it was error to allow them to testify as to Steelman's sanity at the time of the crime based on their interviews of Steelman on the day of his arrest on the grounds that the interviews were in violation of Steelman's rights under the Fifth and Sixth Amendments.