Opinion ID: 2509517
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Rebuttal Testimony of Dr. Jeffrey Schaeffer

Text: Defendant's expert witnesses testified that defendant was mentally retarded, that he was a moral imbecile incapable of appreciating the social context and impact of his behavior, and that he had brain damage. In rebuttal, the prosecution called Dr. Jeffrey Schaeffer. He did not diagnose defendant, but testified over defendant's objection that in defendant's case the four diagnostic categories he would consider were antisocial personality, pedophilia, sexual sadism, and specific developmental disorders. He further testified that there is no correlation between brain damage and committing a premeditated crime of violence. There is also no correlation between learning disabilities or mental retardation and violent crime. Defendant argues that Dr. Schaeffer's testimony was improper rebuttal because defendant's own experts had never discussed sexual sadism. We disagree. When, as here, a mental health expert offers a diagnosis, this opens the door to rebuttal testimony questioning that diagnosis or suggesting an alternative diagnosis. (See People v. Carpenter, supra, 15 Cal.4th at p. 406, 63 Cal.Rptr.2d 1, 935 P.2d 708.) Defendant also contends that his evidence of brain damage and retardation was proper mitigating evidence even if those conditions did not cause the murder of Paul Bailly. (See Eddings v. Oklahoma (1982) 455 U.S. 104, 113-114, 102 S.Ct. 869, 71 L.Ed.2d 1; Lockett v. Ohio, supra, 438 U.S. at p. 604, 98 S.Ct. 2954.) We agree with defendant's premise. But rebuttal tending to show that the brain damage and retardation are not related to the crime remains relevant to the jury's evaluation of the defense evidence as it bears upon the appropriateness of the death penalty. `The admission of rebuttal evidence rests largely within the sound discretion of the trial court and will not be disturbed on appeal in the absence of palpable abuse.' ( People v. Kelly (1990) 51 Cal.3d 931, 965, 275 Cal.Rptr. 160, 800 P.2d 516.) We find no abuse of discretion in the trial court's ruling admitting the testimony of Dr. Schaeffer.