Opinion ID: 2228810
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Removal from List of Court-Appointed Psychiatrists

Text: Defendant contends the trial court erred when it sustained the State's motion to strike Dr. Marc Weinbaum from the list of court-appointed psychiatrists. After defendant filed notice of mental defect as a defense, the trial court appointed three psychiatrists pursuant to Ind. Code § 35-36-2-2, which requires each of the psychiatrists be disinterested. Dr. Weinbaum was named as one of the three psychiatrists. Despite the State's prompt motion to strike Dr. Weinbaum when it was discovered that the doctor had been privately retained by defendant prior to the court appointment, the trial court did not act upon the motion until after defense counsel had referred to three court-appointed psychiatrists during voir dire and in opening statements. Defendant contends that the trial court erred in failing to call Dr. Weinbaum as one of its previously appointed psychiatrists and in failing to refer to him as a disinterested court-appointed psychiatrist. Defendant called the doctor as a witness, then proceeded to question him about his prior court appointment. We are unpersuaded by the defendant's arguments. Dr. Weinbaum was not a disinterested psychiatrist as required by the statute. The trial court did not err in failing to call the doctor to testify as a court-appointed psychiatrist. While it would have been better practice to have acted promptly upon the State's motion to strike, we do not find any substantial resulting prejudice to defendant.