Opinion ID: 2085422
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: Modified Upon Denial of Rehearing

Text: Defendant argues in his petition for rehearing that this court failed to address his claim that James v. Illinois, 493 U.S. 307, 110 S.Ct. 648, 107 L.Ed.2d 676 (1990), prohibits the impeachment of a defense expert witness with a statement made by the defendant in violation of Miranda. Defendant specifically refers to the testimony elicited from his expert witness, Dr. Brown. On cross-examination, Dr. Brown testified hat he could not recall whether defendant informed him that he shot Officer Simenson because he did not want to go to prison. Dr. Brown further testified that the statement would be extremely significant to the validity of his conclusion that defendant had acted out of fear because it revealed another motive for the crime. Although we did not state it in the opinion, James is inapplicable to the facts in this case. The testimony elicited from Dr. Brown during cross-examination was used not to impeach the expert, but rather to test the soundness and fairness of the expert's opinion regarding defendant's state of mind at the time of the shooting. This type of questioning is within the proper scope of cross-examination. See People v. Page, 156 Ill.2d 258, 275, 189 Ill.Dec. 371, 620 N.E.2d 339 (1993), quoting People v. Pasch, 152 Ill.2d 133, 179, 178 Ill.Dec. 38, 604 N.E.2d 294 (1992). Furthermore, even if the cross-examination was improper, section 9-1(e) of our death penalty statute allows the introduction of evidence during the sentencing hearing that would not ordinarily be admissible during the guilt phase of the trial, as long as the evidence is reliable and relevant. See 720 ILCS 5/9-1(e) (West 1992). We believe the statement elicited from Dr. Brown was reliable and, as we stated earlier, relevant to defendant's state of mind at the time of the shooting.