Opinion ID: 1113193
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 22

Heading: Nuernberger testimony.

Text: (19a) In a similar vein, defendant complains that through cross-examination of the defense psychiatric expert, Dr. Nuernberger, the prosecutor improperly introduced, for their truth, the unfavorable hearsay details of 1979 testimony by another defense expert, Dr. Cutting. Defendant claims a violation of his confrontation rights, and also asserts that the prosecutor made wrongful use of privileged information. All these contentions must be rejected. Prior to the 1979 trials, Dr. Cutting had been appointed at defense request to evaluate mental issues. Defendant called Dr. Cutting as a witness at his 1979 insanity trial, purporting to waive his psychotherapist-patient privilege (Evid. Code, ง 1014) only for that purpose. Dr. Cutting then testified that, at the time he examined defendant, he found no mental disease or defects which would substantially impair defendant's capacity to evaluate or control his behavior. Dr. Cutting also said that evidence of defendant's intoxication on the day of the murder would not change his opinion. While cross-examining Dr. Nuernberger at the 1986 trial, the prosecutor asked if he had reviewed any report or testimony of Dr. Cutting. When Dr. Nuernberger said he had not, the prosecutor described Dr. Cutting's 1979 testimony and asked whether Dr. Nuernberger would consider Dr. Cutting's assessment, based on an examination undertaken within two months of the murder, in forming his own opinion. Dr. Nuernberger replied he would consider the earlier view but not be bound by it. In his closing argument, the prosecutor made significant reference to the 1979 testimony of defense witness Cutting, ignored by Dr. [Nuernberger], in an effort to undermine the latter's credibility. Defendant raised no hearsay or privilege objections at trial. Hence, he argues that his counsel was ineffective, and that the trial court had a duty to intervene sua sponte. His contentions lack merit. Of course, Dr. Cutting's testimony would not have been subject to exclusion on grounds of privilege. Both parties understood that defendant's case in mitigation was primarily based on claims of his impaired mental condition at the time of the capital crime. By placing his mental state in issue at the penalty trial, defendant waived his psychotherapist-patient privilege. (Evid. Code, ง 1016.) Nor are defendant's hearsay and confrontation-clause arguments persuasive. (20) The courts have traditionally given both parties wide latitude in the cross-examination of experts in order to test their credibility. [Citations.] Thus, a broader range of evidence may be properly used on cross-examination to test and diminish the weight to be given the expert opinion than is admissible on direct examination to fortify the opinion. [Citation.] ( People v. Coleman, supra, 38 Cal.3d 69, 92.) (19b) It is common practice to challenge an expert by inquiring in good faith about relevant information, including hearsay, which he may have overlooked or ignored. Use of Dr. Cutting's testimony to attack Dr. Nuernberger's credibility was not improper cross-examination. Of course, defendant failed to request, and the jury therefore did not receive, an instruction limiting its consideration of this evidence. However, we find the omission harmless. Contrary to defendant's claim, the prosecutor did not strongly suggest in his argument that Dr. Cutting's opinion should be given independent consideration. In the main, the prosecutor merely stressed that the worth of Dr. Nuernberger's views were diminished by his failure to consider the results of another professional evaluation undertaken closer to the time of the capital crime. Under these circumstances, the jury was unlikely to give improper substantive consideration to the hearsay evidence, and omission of a limiting instruction does not undermine confidence in the judgment. [19] (21) Defendant also argues that Dr. Nuernberger's credibility was damaged by counsel's incompetent failure to prepare him for his testimony. Defendant points to Dr. Nuernberger's concessions that he had not refreshed his memory about his 1979 observations of defendant, had not more recently reviewed defendant's prison file, had not interviewed persons who observed defendant around the time of the murder, and no longer recalled in detail the facts of the crime. But the appellate record establishes neither incompetence nor prejudice. However counsel dealt with this expert, he faced the tactical risk that too much preparation might undermine, rather than fortify, the favorable nature of the opinions the witness was willing to give. Nor may we infer on appeal that Dr. Nuernberger's testimony would have been of greater benefit to defendant had he prepared more fully. Hence, we cannot conclude that any omission by counsel undermines confidence in the judgment.