Opinion ID: 1713763
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 13

Heading: Admission of Appellant's Criminal History

Text: In claim seven, appellant argues that the trial court erred in allowing the prosecutor to cross-examine a defense expert, Dr. Martha Jacobson, a psychologist, about appellant's criminal history. Dr. Jacobson told the court that although appellant provided her with this information during the evaluation, she did not rely on it in a significant or relevant part. The trial court, however, ruled that the State could cross-examine the doctor because she used appellant's criminal history in formulating her opinion. Appellant contends that this ruling was contrary to the testimony. We disagree. During the penalty phase of the trial, the defense moved to exclude evidence of appellant's criminal history. The State argued that the defense's mental health expert, Dr. Jacobson, had received this information during her evaluation of appellant and had relied on it in formulating her expert opinion. [20] Before ruling on the matter, the Court permitted the State to voir dire the expert to determine whether and to what extent the expert relied on appellant's criminal history in formulating her opinion. Without being specific, the State asked Dr. Jacobson whether she obtained any information from appellant during the clinical interview and whether she utilized that information in formulating her opinion. Dr. Jacobson answered in the affirmative. On cross-examination, defense counsel specifically asked Dr. Jacobson whether appellant's criminal history played a significant or relevant part in her evaluation as to appellant's mental condition both at trial and at the time of the offense. Dr. Jacobson responded that it did not. On direct, the State asked the expert, So that information that the defendant told you about, his prior prison sentences and prior criminal history was not utilized by you in any way, shape or form in formulating your opinions in this case? Dr. Jacobson responded, Mr. Magrino [prosecutor] you need to be more specific as to what opinion. It did not affect my opinion as to the presence of mental illness. The trial court found that Dr. Jacobson had learned about appellant's criminal history during her evaluation of him and had used that information in formulating her opinion. Accordingly, the court denied the defense's motion in limine. Dr. Jacobson subsequently testified that appellant suffers from a schizophrenic disorder, which includes schizophrenic symptoms, mood disorder symptoms, some mania and perhaps some depression. On cross-examination, the State asked Dr. Jacobson about appellant's criminal history. She responded that appellant has eight prior felony convictions. The State then asked whether appellant had relied on a mental disease or mental disorder as a defense in any of the eight prior offenses. Dr. Jacobson testified that she did not know. Based on the record before us, the trial court did not err in permitting the State to inquire about appellant's prior criminal history. The State may cross-examine a defense expert on matters on which the expert relied in formulating her opinion. See § 90.705, Fla. Stat. (2000) (providing that on cross-examination, the expert shall be required to specify the facts or data); Davis v. State, 698 So.2d 1182, 1191 (Fla.1997) (permitting state to cross-examine defense expert on matters contained within a predisposition report that the expert had relied upon in formulating his opinion); Jones v. State, 612 So.2d 1370, 1374 (Fla.1992) (holding that defendant's juvenile, psychiatric, and psychological history was admissible during cross-examination of the defense's expert where the expert had relied on such information in diagnosing the defendant as having a borderline personality disorder); Muehle-man v. State, 503 So.2d 310 (Fla.1987) (holding that inquiry about defendant's juvenile social history report which detailed his juvenile criminal record was permissible since expert relied on report in formulating opinion). Here, the defense expert did not testify, as appellant contends, that she had not relied on appellant's prior criminal history in formulating her opinion. Rather, she testified during her deposition and in court that she had, in fact, utilized it in formulating her opinion. She merely emphasized that it did not play a significant or relevant part in formulating an opinion and that it did not affect her opinion. From the questions asked by counsel for the defense and the State, it appears that the expert did rely on appellant's criminal history, just not in any significant degree. Thus, it was proper for the State to inquire as to whether and to what extent the expert relied on appellant's prior criminal history. It should be noted that during Dr. Jacobson's testimony, the jury was not told what appellant's prior offenses were for or whether he had served any prison time for those offenses. Rather, the State's purpose in asking about the prior offenses was to show that appellant had not relied on a mental illness defense in any of the prior cases. Accordingly, we find no error with regard to this claim.