Opinion ID: 1655090
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Whether defense expert Dr. Clarence Thurman was ineffective.

Text: ¶ 40. Woodward argues that there were deficiencies in Dr. Thurman's evaluation of Woodward and in his testimony during the trial, to the extent that the requirements of Ake v. Oklahoma, 470 U.S. 68, 105 S.Ct. 1087, 84 L.Ed.2d 53 (1985), were not met. This Court has held that there is no constitutional right to effective assistance of an expert witness. Brown v. State, 798 So.2d 481, 499 (Miss. 2001), citing Wilson v. Greene, 155 F.3d 396, 401 (4th Cir.1998). In Wilson, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit evaluated the requirements under Ake v. Oklahoma and held that the due process clause does not prescribe a malpractice standard for a psychiatrist's performance. Id. at 401. No independent constitutional right to effective assistance of a mental health expert has been recognized by the United States Supreme Court or this Court. This issue is without merit.