Opinion ID: 1801790
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Cross-examination of defense expert Dr. Adrienne Davis

Text: Defendant claims that, during cross-examination of defense expert Dr. Adrienne Davis, the prosecutor committed misconduct by questioning her about the disciplinary violations reflected in defendant's CYA and probation records. On direct examination, Dr. Davis testified that she was retained by the defense to examine defendant's psychological history and to form an opinion about aspects of his history important in understanding his commission of the offenses in this case. In forming her opinion, Dr. Davis reviewed defendant's school records, juvenile records, and his videotaped interview with the police, and conducted interviews of defendant, his parents, and his sister. Dr. Davis noted that defendant had a history of behavioral and emotional problems which stemmed largely from having ADD, a neurological condition he was diagnosed with early in his childhood. Because it is believed that ADD is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, ADD is often treated with medication. She testified that children with ADD, such as defendant, are hyperactive and very disruptive, have very little control over their behavior, have difficulty learning, and are intrusive in their interactions with other people. They are particularly impulsive in stressful situations. Dr. Davis opined that, because ADD is a neurologically based disease, a lot of this [negative] behavior the child is exhibiting is not volitional, they are not doing it on purpose, they just don't really have control. Dr. Davis believed that a child with ADD is predisposed to aggressive and delinquent behavior, especially if he or she is not treated with medication, there is no family intervention, and there is aggressive behavior in the family and community. Dr. Davis stated that, after defendant was diagnosed with ADD, he did not receive proper treatment, was not given medication, and did not undergo family or individual counseling. Dr. Davis noted that defendant was medicated while housed at CYA, but believed that he stopped taking his medication after his release. On cross-examination, Dr. Davis confirmed she had reviewed and considered defendant's CYA records. When asked if the records reflected that defendant engaged in criminal conduct while he was incarcerated and receiving treatment for his ADD, Dr. Davis answered that they did not and explained that fighting with other minors was not a crime. Defense counsel objected to questions about defendant's criminal behavior in CYA on grounds of relevance and that the questioning was argumentative. After argument outside the presence of the jury, the trial court noted that Dr. Davis relied on the CYA reports in forming her opinions and that the prosecutor's questions regarding the contents of the reports were proper rebuttal and impeachment. In the presence of the jury, Dr. Davis confirmed that defendant's records reflected that defendant had been disciplined for theft, possession of a weapon, sexual harassment, and engaging in two fights while in CYA. One report indicated that, even while on medication, defendant was still a serious behavior problem. Through further cross-examination, the prosecutor established that, while medication and counseling were provided for defendant in CYA, he generally did not respond to treatment. Defendant argues that Dr. Davis's testimony regarding the disciplinary violations in CYA was improper nonstatutory aggravating evidence and exceeded the scope of direct examination, and that the prejudicial effect of the evidence outweighed its probative value. Defendant further argues that the prosecutor failed to give proper notice of the nonstatutory aggravating evidence. Initially, we note that defendant failed to object on the ground that the testimony was improper nonstatutory aggravating evidence or that the prosecutor failed to give notice regarding the evidence. Having made no objection, defendant has forfeited the claims on appeal. ( People v. Alfaro, supra, 41 Cal.4th at p. 1328.) In any event, because the underlying arguments lack merit, the claim of prosecutorial misconduct necessarily fails as well. (9) The prosecution may only present aggravating evidence that relates to statutory factors enumerated in section 190.3. ( People v. Boyd (1985) 38 Cal.3d 762, 772-776 [215 Cal.Rptr. 1, 700 P.2d 782] ( Boyd ).) However, evidence offered to rebut defense mitigating evidence need not relate to any specific aggravating factor listed in section 190.3. ( People v. Coffman and Marlow (2004) 34 Cal.4th 1, 109 [17 Cal.Rptr.3d 710, 96 P.3d 30].) On rebuttal, a prosecutor may refer to prior conduct not admitted as evidence in aggravation under section 190.3, if it relates to evidence offered by the defendant in mitigation. ( People v. Cunningham, supra, 25 Cal.4th at p. 1023.) A prosecutor does not violate Boyd by showing that the evidence in mitigation offered by the defendant fails to carry extenuating weight when evaluated in a broader factual context. ( People v. Frye, supra, 18 Cal.4th at p. 1021.) Here, cross-examination was not conducted to establish evidence in aggravation, but to impeach Dr. Davis's opinions. On direct examination, Dr. Davis suggested that, because of his ADD, defendant acted impulsively and did not engage in volitional behavior during the commission of the crimes. In rebuttal, the prosecutor properly showed that despite receiving treatment for his ADD in CYA, defendant committed various disciplinary violations. This evidence rebutted Dr. Davis's opinion that defendant suffered from ADD and that the disease contributed significantly to his criminal conduct in this case. In turn, it was relevant to establish that, instead of acting impulsively and without volition and control, defendant intentionally committed the offenses in this case. Thus, the prosecutor did not commit misconduct in attempting to reduce the weight of Dr. Davis's expert opinion. ( People v. Coffman and Marlow, supra, 34 Cal.4th at pp. 111-112; People v. Dennis (1998) 17 Cal.4th 468, 519 [71 Cal.Rptr.2d 680, 950 P.2d 1035]; People v. Montiel (1993) 5 Cal.4th 877, 923-924 [21 Cal.Rptr.2d 705, 855 P.2d 1277].) Because defendant's assertion of Boyd error lacks merit, his related notice claim also fails. (§ 190.3 [Evidence may be introduced without such notice in rebuttal to evidence introduced by the defendant in mitigation.]; People v. Coffman and Marlow, supra, 34 Cal.4th at p. 109.) Similarly, for the reasons stated above, we reject defendant's contention that evidence of the disciplinary violations exceeded the scope of direct examination and was more prejudicial than probative under Evidence Code section 352. (Evid. Code, § 721, subd. (a) [[A] witness testifying as an expert ... may be fully cross-examined as to ... the subject to which his or her expert testimony relates, and ... the matter upon which his or her opinion is based and the reasons for his or her opinion.]; People v. Gardeley (1996) 14 Cal.4th 605, 619 [59 Cal.Rptr.2d 356, 927 P.2d 713] [courts have considerable discretion to control the manner in which an expert is questioned and to weigh the probative value of information relied on by an expert against the risks].) Regarding the potential for undue prejudice or that the jury would consider the evidence of defendant's disciplinary violations as substantive evidence in aggravation, any such danger was dispelled by the trial court's admonition. ( People v. Montiel, supra, 5 Cal.4th at p. 919.) It admonished the jury that the reports on which Dr. Davis's opinions were based were hearsay and not offered for their truth, but only admitted for the purpose of evaluating the expert testimony. Moreover, the prior disciplinary violations were relatively tame given the calculated, methodical, and callous nature of the crimes in this case, to which defendant confessed. Because the trial court did not abuse its discretion in permitting cross-examination as to the disciplinary violations, the prosecutor did not commit misconduct. [4] Defendant further contends that the prosecutor went outside the scope of permissible cross-examination and thereby committed misconduct when she questioned Dr. Davis about the factual inaccuracies in her report. On cross-examination, Dr. Davis acknowledged her report inaccurately stated that the charge was second degree robbery rather than first degree robbery, that Sells was shot three times in the head and back when in fact she was shot three times in the head, and that her assertion in the report that Kristian survived and is in good physical condition was made without the knowledge that she still had a bullet in her head. In offering an expert opinion, the expert invites investigation into the extent of his knowledge, the reasons for his opinion, including facts and other matters upon which it is based and which he took into consideration; he may be subjected to the most rigorous cross-examination concerning his opinion and its sources. ( People v. Nye (1969) 71 Cal.2d 356, 374-375 [78 Cal.Rptr. 467, 455 P.2d 395].) Because the report's inaccuracies tended to downplay the severity of the crimes, the prosecutor was entitled to question Dr. Davis about those inaccuracies in attempting to rebut her suggestion that defendant's criminal conduct here was uncontrolled and not volitional. Finally, defendant claims that the prosecutor committed misconduct in cross-examining Dr. Davis regarding defendant's lack of remorse for committing the offenses in this case and in other cases. Regarding this case, the prosecutor was entitled to develop and argue the lack of evidence of remorse. ( People v. Frye, supra, 18 Cal.4th at p. 1019; People v. Marshall (1996) 13 Cal.4th 799, 855 [55 Cal.Rptr.2d 347, 919 P.2d 1280].) Regarding the other cases, various statements in the reports indicated defendant minimized his criminal behavior and showed little remorse towards his victims. The prosecutor could have reasonably concluded that those statements impeached Dr. Davis's opinion regarding defendant's emotional and behavioral stability. In any event, because the trial court overruled defendant's objection, the prosecutor's questions, in accord with the ruling, were not misconduct.