Opinion ID: 3134354
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Ill 2d 461 (1992), is misplaced. In Lucas, the defendant was

Text: convicted of the murder of a prison superintendent, a gang-related crime which occurred in retaliation for the death of another member of the defendant's gang. This court found that a correctional officer's testimony regarding gang members' threats of retaliation was improperly admitted. Lucas, 151 Ill. 2d at 478. This court relied on the fact that the correctional officer, who testified as to the threats, stated that defendant did not make the threats. Lucas, 151 Ill. 2d at 478. Moreover, the court pointed out that the victim's murder was not close in time to the gang member's death, which occurred over two months prior to the murder. Lucas, 151 Ill. 2d at 478. This court also determined that evidence of a gang member's attack upon another correctional officer one day before the murder and a gang member's threat to poison an inmate who was cooperating with the prosecution were inadmissible. Lucas, 151 Ill. 2d at 486. We rejected this evidence because there was neither evidence connecting defendant to the attack on the correctional officer nor evidence connecting defendant to the plan to poison the cooperating inmate. Lucas, 151 Ill. 2d at 486. While this court found error in the admission of this evidence, this court ultimately determined the error to be harmless. Defendant now contends that our decision in Lucas demonstrates that mutual gang membership and mutual gang motivation against a person are insufficient to establish a connection between a defendant and a third party's threats. This case is distinguishable from Lucas. Initially, we note that the evidence in Lucas was presented at trial, where strict rules of evidence apply, whereas Roberts' testimony occurred at the capital sentencing hearing, where the rules of evidence are relaxed. More importantly, here there was a prior connection between defendant and the person receiving the threats, namely, Roberts. Although defendant did not make the last threatening phone call, she did have a history of threatening those who crossed her, including Roberts. Consequently, the connection between defendant and the threatening phone call in this case involved more than mutual gang membership and mutual gang motivation. Under the circumstances of this case, we determine that it is reasonable to infer that defendant was the source of the threats against Roberts. Thus, we hold that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in allowing Roberts to testify about threatening phone calls she received prior to her testimony at defendant's death penalty hearing. E. Mitigation Defendant asserts that the trial court erred in refusing to allow the defense to display defendant's two young children before the jury during its presentation of mitigating evidence. The record reveals that defendant's mother and defendant testified during the mitigation phase of the sentencing hearing about defendant's relationship with her children. Defendant's mother, Angelina Gonzalez, testified that defendant had two children, Juan Carlos Mulero, age seven, and Mario Canales, age five, who lived with defendant prior to her incarceration. Mrs. Gonzalez stated that she brought the children to visit defendant in jail every week and that defendant exchanged letters with her children. Mrs. Gonzalez also stated that defendant called her children frequently and behaved well with them. Defendant also testified about her children, who were present in the courtroom and seated with her mother. Defendant stated that she was 15 years of age when she had Juan Carlos and 17 years of age when she had Mario. According to defendant, she raised her children on her own by working at two jobs. Defendant told the jury that if she did not get the death penalty she would have a better relationship with her kids and would be a better mother. She explained that, even if she should be incarcerated forever, she could still be a mother to her children by having them visit her in prison. Defendant further explained that she did not want her children to testify because she did not want them to ever grow up noticing that they went through this trauma. However, defendant stated that she would not mind if her children were brought before the jury. The trial court refused defense counsel's request to have the children displayed to the jurors. The court found such evidence to be improper because it was an obvious attempt to evoke sympathy on behalf of defendant to the jury. Moreover, the court noted that such a display of the children was unnecessary because there had already been testimony about defendant's children, and the jury was aware they were in court. Defendant now challenges the court's ruling on the basis that it was an improper infringement upon her right to present mitigating evidence. Defendant claims that the physical display of her children to the jury was proper mitigating evidence because it would demonstrate the most positive aspect of defendant's character, namely, her two children. According to defendant, it was necessary for the jury to view any positive visible aspects of the children's development, which could then be attributable to defendant, who alone raised them. In essence, defendant contends that her children represented physical evidence, which was necessary to explain testimonial evidence. As previously stated, during the aggravation/mitigation phase of a capital sentencing hearing, the rules of evidence are relaxed and evidence need only be relevant and reliable to be admissible. See People v. Brown, 172 Ill. 2d 1, 49 (1996); Patterson, 154 Ill. 2d at 475. The determination of evidence's admissibility at the second phase of the sentencing hearing lies within the sound discretion of the trial judge. See Brown, 172 Ill. 2d at 49; Patterson, 154 Ill. 2d at 475. With these principles in mind, we find that the trial court in the instant case did not abuse its discretion in denying defendant's request to have her children brought before the jury. We acknowledge that defendant is entitled to present evidence in mitigation that is relevant to her character and reliable. See People v. Edwards, 144 Ill. 2d 108, 174-75 (1991). Here, however, the physical display of defendant's children to the jury was not relevant to defendant's character. We agree with the State that the jury could not have assessed defendant's character as a mother simply by looking at the children. As such, displaying defendant's children before the jury was not relevant mitigating evidence. Accordingly, we conclude that the trial court properly denied defendant's request. F. Post-Sentencing Hearing Defendant asserts that the trial court erred in ruling that the testimony of the defense's clinical psychologist at the post- sentencing hearing was not credible where that ruling was based solely on the fact that the clinical psychologist was not a medical doctor. The record shows that defendant filed a motion to withdraw her guilty plea after she had been sentenced to death. The trial court conducted a hearing to determine whether defendant's guilty plea was intelligent, knowing, and voluntary. At the hearing, defendant's trial counsel testified that he talked to defendant three or four times about the plea and explained the advantages and disadvantages of pleading guilty. Trial counsel stated that he did not coerce defendant into pleading guilty. Rather, it was defendant's decision to plead guilty. In fact, according to trial counsel, defendant directed him to enter her plea of guilty. Defendant also testified at the post-sentencing hearing and contradicted trial counsel's testimony. Defendant insisted that it was trial counsel's idea for her to plead guilty. According to defendant, she pled guilty because trial counsel did not give her much of a choice. In addition to defendant, the defense called Dr. Michael Kovar, a clinical psychologist, to testify at the post-sentencing hearing. Dr. Kovar testified that he conducted several psychological tests on defendant. In his opinion, these tests showed that defendant was highly suggestible and easily misled. Dr. Kovar believed that defendant was confused about her guilty plea and did not know the basic facts. Dr. Kovar opined that defendant was not competent to understand the language used by the judge regarding the relinquishment of her rights. For example, Dr. Kovar stated that defendant did not have a clue what reasonable doubt meant, did not understand the burden of proof, and was unsure exactly what the jury would be selected to hear. Dr. Kovar attributed defendant's lack of understanding to defendant's deficiencies in the fund of information, vocabulary, and commonsense reasoning. Based on his test findings, her mental status, her history and her overall presentation, Dr. Kovar concluded that defendant's plea of guilty was not knowingly and intelligently made, given defendant's lack of competence at the time she pled guilty. Dr. Kovar diagnosed defendant as having a depressive disorder, a general anxiety disorder, and presently manifesting borderline intellectual functioning. After considering all of the evidence, the trial judge found Dr. Kovar's testimony to be incredible. The trial judge commented, He's not a psychiatrist. He's not a medical doctor. The trial judge then proceeded to explain that Dr. Kovar's testimony was not credible based on the fact that he witnessed defendant when she pled guilty, and he believed trial counsel's testimony that it was defendant's idea to plead guilty. More specifically, the trial judge made the following findings: That [the plea] was her choice. She entered that plea in front of me. She was admonished as to what the penalties were, what her rights were. She indicated to me that she understood and I believed her, and I've been talking to defendants for a long time, that she did it knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently. The trial judge ultimately denied the motion to withdraw the guilty plea. Defendant contends that the trial court was improper in its ruling regarding Dr. Kovar's credibility as an expert witness. It is defendant's position that the trial court rejected Dr. Kovar's testimony for the sole reason that Dr. Kovar was only a clinical psychologist as opposed to being a psychiatrist and a medical doctor. Defendant argues that it was irrelevant that Dr. Kovar was neither a psychiatrist nor a medical doctor. Because Dr. Kovar was a registered clinical psychologist, defendant insists that he was qualified by law to testify as to defendant's state of mind and mental impairments at the time of her guilty plea. In view of the trial court's improper basis for finding Dr. Kovar to be incredible, defendant contends that she is entitled to a new hearing on her motion to withdraw her guilty plea. Initially, we note that a clinical psychologist is qualified to render an expert opinion as to a defendant's fitness to plead guilty, stand trial, be sentenced or be executed. 730 ILCS 5/5--2-- 5 (West 1992). In fact, the testimony of a clinical psychologist should not be disregarded merely because that witness is not a psychiatrist or a medical doctor. See People v. Noble, 42 Ill. 2d 425 (1969). Although a clinical psychologist's testimony should not be disregarded on this basis, the trial court is not required to accept the psychologist's opinion that the defendant was not competent. See People v. Coleman, 168 Ill. 2d 509, 525 (1995); People v. Pugh, 157 Ill. 2d 1, 24 (1993). It is the trial court's function to assess the credibility and weight to be given to psychiatric expert testimony. See Coleman, 168 Ill. 2d at 525. After considering the trial judge's ruling, we find that the trial judge's determination that Dr. Kovar's testimony was incredible was not improper. We acknowledge that the trial judge improperly commented about the witness not being a medical doctor or a psychiatrist. The record, however, demonstrates that the trial judge did not reject Dr. Kovar's credibility because he was not a medical doctor or a psychiatrist. Rather, the trial judge did not agree with Dr. Kovar's conclusions because of his own observations of defendant while presiding over the proceedings in this case, and because he found trial counsel to be credible. As stated, the trial court is not required to accept the expert's finding. Instead, it is the function of the trial court to assess the credibility of the expert's testimony. See Coleman, 168 Ill. 2d at 525. Consequently, the trial judge properly rejected Dr. Kovar's credibility in light of other evidence. We therefore conclude that the trial judge's comment regarding Dr. Kovar does not warrant the granting of a new hearing on the motion to withdraw defendant's guilty plea. G. Sufficiency of the Evidence In view of our decision to remand this cause for a new sentencing hearing, double jeopardy requires that we determine whether the evidence was sufficient to support defendant's eligibility for the death penalty. See People v. Brown, 169 Ill. 2d 132, 164 (1996). After considering the evidence in the record, we find that it supports defendant's eligibility for death based on the statutory aggravating factors of murder of two or more individuals (720 ILCS 5/9--1(b)(3) (West 1992)) and murder committed in a cold, calculated and premeditated manner pursuant to a preconceived plan (720 ILCS 5/9--1(b)(11) (West 1992)). Consequently, there is no double jeopardy impediment to defendant's receiving a new capital sentencing hearing. See Brown, 169 Ill. 2d at 169. Nevertheless, we do not in any way imply that we have made a finding as to defendant's eligibility that would be binding on remand. See Brown, 169 Ill. 2d at 169.