Opinion ID: 1793148
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Conditional Admissibilitythe Hurd Guidelines

Text: Appellant urges that if we do not allow hypnotically refreshed testimony unconditionally, we should adopt the guidelines of State v. Hurd, supra . [1] We note that appellant has not fully complied with those guidelines, but we are not inclined to follow Hurd in any case. The cases which have rejected Hurd have noted that some of the dangers of hypnotically induced testimony are not eliminated by the Hurd guidelines and others are not even addressed. [2] See People v. Shirley, supra , Collins v. Sup. Ct., supra. Of equal importance, to adopt the guidelines would further burden the pretrial process with no off-setting benefit: the guidelines require that the opposing party be notified of the intent to use hypnosis and be furnished a recording of any sessions; only a psychologist or psychiatrist experienced in hypnosis, and independent of either the state or the defense, may be used; all sessions must be recorded and the trial court in a pretrial or chambers hearing must decide a number of issues determinative of whether the induced testimony should be received, such as the presence of cues or suggestions by the hypnotist. The burden of proof is by clear and convincing evidence. In light of the questionable probative value of such proof and the risks inherent in the means by which it is retrieved, we think it would be a serious mistake to further encumber the pretrial process with the steps outlined in Hurd . We agree with the comment in People v. Shirley, supra : On the other hand, it takes little prescience to foresee that these and related issues would provide a fertile new field for litigation. There would first be elaborate demands for discovery, parades of expert witnesses, and special pretrial hearings, all with concomitant delays and expense. Among the questions our trial courts would then be expected to answer are scientific issues so subtle as to confound the experts. Their resolution would in turn generate a panoply of new claims that could be raised on appeal, including difficult questions of compliance with the clear and convincing standard of proof. And because the hypnotized subject would frequently be the victim, the eyewitness, or a similar source of crucial testimony against the defendant, any errors in ruling on the admissibility of such testimony could easily jeopardize otherwise unimpeachable judgments of conviction. In our opinion, the game is not worth the candle.