Opinion ID: 1158206
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: New Mexico Case Law.

Text: We have yet to pass on the admissibility of PTSD or RTS evidence. The Court of Appeals, however, in State v. Bowman, 104 N.M. 19, 715 P.2d 467 (Ct.App. 1986), assumed without deciding that expert testimony regarding RTS was admissible. Id., at 21, 715 P.2d at 469. The Court noted that in New Mexico, the admission or exclusion of evidence is discretionary with the trial court, and it stated that New Mexico courts liberally allow the admission of expert testimony. Id., at 22, 715 P.2d at 470. Employing the abuse of discretion standard in reviewing the trial judge's decision, the Court opined that it might not reverse a trial court which had allowed the introduction of RTS evidence, but that conversely, it does not necessarily compel reversal of a trial judge who excluded such evidence, which is what the trial judge had done. Id. The Court went on to state that its affirmance of the exclusion of RTS evidence was supported by the prosecution's insistence on using the emotion-charged terminology of rape trauma syndrome despite the psychologist's repeatedly expressed preference for the neutral term of post-traumatic stress disorder. Id. The Court of Appeals has held that PTSD or RTS testimony is admissible for purposes other than to prove that a crime was committed. In State v. Barraza, 110 N.M. 45, 791 P.2d 799 (Ct.App.), cert. denied, 109 N.M. 704, 789 P.2d 1271 (1990), the Court of Appeals again did not directly address the admissibility of RTS in general because the issue had not been preserved below, but the Court held that RTS testimony was relevant to establish the element of mental anguish in second degree criminal sexual penetration. Id., at 48, 791 P.2d at 802. In State v. Newman, 109 N.M. 263, 784 P.2d 1006 (Ct.App.), cert. denied, 109 N.M. 262, 784 P.2d 1005 (1989), a child therapist testified that the victim exhibited symptoms that were consistent in her experience with child abuse victims, but she did not use the terms PTSD or RTS. Id., at 265, 784 P.2d at 1008. The Court held that the expert's testimony was admissible to assist the jury to understand the behavior of sexually abused children. Id., at 266, 784 P.2d at 1009.