Opinion ID: 527010
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Granviel's Sixth Amendment Claims

Text: 54 Unlike Granviel's fifth amendment right, his sixth amendment right to the assistance of counsel was not automatically waived by his insanity defense. Powell v. Texas, --- U.S. ----, ----, 109 S.Ct. 3146, 3148-50, 106 L.Ed.2d 551 (1989) (per curiam). In Powell, the Supreme Court clarified the distinction between a defendant's fifth and sixth amendment rights in regard to psychiatric testimony. The Court recognized the inherent inequity in permitting a defendant to raise an insanity defense while objecting to disclosure of psychiatric evaluations. The Court reasoned, however, that such inequity did not justify denying the defendant assistance of counsel during such examination. Id. --- U.S. at ----, 109 S.Ct. at 3148-49.
55 Granviel had no sixth amendment claims as to the admission of Dr. Grove's testimony. Dr. Groves examined Granviel in 1969, five years prior to Granviel's crime and well before adversary proceedings were initiated against him. Therefore, Granviel's sixth amendment rights had not attached, and he was not entitled to the assistance of counsel during Dr. Groves' examination. Kirby v. Illinois, 406 U.S. 682, 689-90, 92 S.Ct. 1877, 1882-83, 32 L.Ed.2d 411 (1972).
56 Dr. Holbrook was initially retained by Granviel's counsel in preparation for a trial on charges related to one of Granviel's seven other victims and while Granviel was under arrest for the present murder. Dr. Holbrook interviewed Granviel twice, on both occasions Granviel was accompanied by defense counsel. After these examinations, defense counsel petitioned the court to appoint Dr. Holbrook as a court psychiatrist, in order to have him paid by the State. 57 The appointment was made pursuant to article 46.02 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. On the day that the appointment was requested, article 46.02 provided that the court may at its discretion appoint disinterested qualified experts to examine the defendant with regard to his present competency to stand trial and as to his sanity.... The statute prohibits the court-appointed psychiatrist from testifying concerning statements made by the defendant. Id. As interpreted by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, this statute contemplates the appointment of a disinterested expert for the court, who will not serve as a partisan for either side. Granviel v. State, 552 S.W.2d 107, 115 (Tex.Crim.App.1976), cert. denied, 431 U.S. 933, 97 S.Ct. 2642, 53 L.Ed.2d 250 (1977). Prior to the time of trial, the relevant statute was amended so as to require that a copy of the disinterested expert's report be furnished to the court and opposing counsel. Tex.Code of Crim.Proc. art. 46.02, Sec. 3(d) (effective June 19, 1975). Under Texas law, an amendment to a procedural statute governs the conduct of a trial from its effective date. Granviel, 552 S.W.2d at 116. 58 Pursuant to the amended statute, the trial court ordered Dr. Holbrook to release a copy of his report to the State. Dr. Holbrook complied, over the objection of defense counsel. Counsel also objected to the use of Dr. Holbrook's report on both fifth and sixth amendment grounds prior to its use at Granviel's first trial on related charges, by motion prior to the instant trial, and during the course of the instant trial when the report was introduced and prior to the punishment phase of the trial. 59 Granviel's sixth amendment challenges were waived by his counsel's voluntary decision to seek to have Dr. Holbrook appointed as a disinterested qualified expert pursuant to the Texas procedure. Even under the statute's earlier formulation, the expert to be appointed was not to be a private consultant of either party. Rather, he was to be the court's disinterested expert. As such, it was proper for his opinions to be made available to either party equally. Granviel, 552 S.W.2d at 115. Granviel moved to have Dr. Holbrook appointed as a court expert with the advice of counsel who had been present during the doctor's examination and were thus aware of the nature and scope of the expert's examination and opinion. Granviel's counseled requests obviate any basis for objection that the availability of Dr. Holbrook's testimony might have violated his constitutional rights.
60 Granviel also challenges the constitutionality of the Texas procedure requiring the disclosure of an appointed psychiatrist's report. Tex.Code Crim.Proc. art. 46.02. Prior to his trial on the instant offense, Granviel requested that the court appoint an independent expert to assist him in his defense. He specifically requested that the expert be unavailable to the prosecution or the court. The request for such confidential expert assistance was denied, although the court did appoint a disinterested expert whose report would be available to prosecution and defense alike. 61 Granviel alleges that the unavailability of an independent expert denied him the opportunity to meaningfully defend himself. Granviel has a fourteenth amendment right to psychiatric assistance, and the state must provide such assistance to an indigent defendant such as Granviel if the defendant's sanity is likely to be a significant factor at trial. Ake v. Oklahoma, 470 U.S. 68, 105 S.Ct. 1087, 84 L.Ed.2d 53 (1985). As Granviel's sanity was certainly in genuine dispute, the only remaining question is whether the Texas procedure that provides an indigent defendant with the assistance of a court-appointed psychiatrist, whose opinion and testimony is available to both sides, satisfies Granviel's rights. We hold that it does. 62 As the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has noted, A psychiatrist's examination is not an adversary proceeding. Its purpose is not to aid in the establishment of facts showing that an accused committed certain acts constituting a crime; rather its sole purpose is to enable an expert to form an opinion as to an accused's mental capacity to form criminal intent. Stultz v. State, 500 S.W.2d 853, 855 (Tex.Crim.App.1973), quoted in Granviel, 552 S.W.2d at 115. Granviel's ability to uncover the truth concerning his sanity is not prejudiced by a court-appointed, neutral expert. Availability of a neutral expert provides defendants with the raw materials integral to the building of an effective defense. Ake, 105 S.Ct. at 1093. The state is not required to permit defendants to shop around for a favorable expert. Granviel had been provided with an unbiased expert of his own choosing in the first trial and examination at the facility of his choice before the second. He does not contend that the chosen experts were incompetent. He has no right to the appointment of a psychiatrist who will reach biased or only favorable conclusions. 63 [W]hen a defendant demonstrates to the trial judge that his sanity at the time of the offense is to be a significant factor at trial, the State must, at a minimum, assure the defendant access to a competent psychiatrist who will conduct an appropriate examination and assist in evaluation, preparation, and presentation of the defense. This is not to say, of course, that the indigent defendant has a constitutional right to choose a psychiatrist of his personal liking or to receive funds to hire his own. Our concern is that the indigent defendant have access to a competent psychiatrist for the purpose we have discussed, and as in the case of the provision of counsel we leave to the State the decision on how to implement this right. 64 Id. at 1096. The Texas procedure complies with the mandate of the Constitution.