Opinion ID: 1667146
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 20

Heading: Presence of counsel during court-ordered mental evaluation

Text: ś 90. Thorson next argues that the trial court erred in refusing to allow defense counsel to be present during the court ordered mental evaluation by Dr. Henry Maggio. In Estelle v. Smith, 451 U.S. 454, 101 S.Ct. 1866, 68 L.Ed.2d 359 (1981), the Supreme Court discussed both the Fifth and Sixth Amendments as relating to the claim of mental health professional examinations. As to the Fifth Amendment, the Supreme Court held that a defendant must be given warnings similar to Miranda warnings prior to the examination. Id. at 469, 101 S.Ct. 1866. In deciding the Sixth Amendment aspect, the Supreme Court held that once counsel had been appointed, counsel must be notified that the defendant will be examined in order to consult with the defendant prior to the exam. Id. at 470-71, 101 S.Ct. 1866. In a footnote, the Supreme Court discussed the issue of whether counsel had the right to be present during the exam. Because psychiatric examinations of the type at issue here are conducted after adversary proceedings have been instituted, we are not concerned in this case with the limited right to the appointment and presence of counsel recognized as a Fifth Amendment safeguard in Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 471-473, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 1626-1627, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966). See Edwards v. Arizona, 451 U.S. 477, 101 S.Ct. 1880, 68 L.Ed.2d 378. Rather, the issue before us is whether a defendant's Sixth Amendment right to the assistance of counsel is abridged when the defendant is not given prior opportunity to consult with counsel about his participation in the psychiatric examination. But cf. n. 15, infra. Respondent does not assert, and the Court of Appeals did not find, any constitutional right to have counsel actually present during the examination. In fact, the Court of Appeals recognized that an attorney present during the psychiatric interview could contribute little and might seriously disrupt the examination. 602 F.2d at 708. Cf. Thornton v. Corcoran, 132 U.S.App.D.C. 232, 242, 248, 407 F.2d 695, 705, 711 (1969) (opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part). Estelle, 451 U.S. at 471 n. 14, 101 S.Ct. 1866. The Fifth Circuit has continuously held that there is no right to counsel during the actual testing and examination of a criminal defendant. Hernandez v. Johnson, 248 F.3d 344 (5th Cir.2001); United States v. Bondurant, 689 F.2d 1246 (5th Cir.1982); Gholson v. Estelle, 675 F.2d 734 (5th Cir.1982); Estelle v. Smith, 602 F.2d 694 (5th Cir.1979); United States v. Cohen, 530 F.2d 43 (5th Cir.1976). Therefore, this Court now adopts the rule found in Estelle v. Smith that there is no constitutional right for counsel to be present during a mental evaluation. Finding that there is no such constitutional right, this issue is without merit.