Court Opinion

ID: 9469092
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 02:31:52.325815+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:41:12.961837
License: Public Domain

DYER, Circuit Judge,
specially concurring:
I concur in the judgment of affirmance because it clearly appears that the admission of Dr. Holbrook’s psychiatric opinion testimony against both Gholson and Ross violated each petitioner’s fifth and sixth amendment rights. Estelle v. Smith, 451 U.S. 454, 101 S.Ct. 1866, 68 L.Ed.2d 359 (1981).
I came to this decision with serious reservations. There is no doubt that Gholson *745and Ross committed cold blooded, premeditated murder, prompted by hate, and preceded by brutal violence on helpless and defenseless victims who were unknown to the assailants.
While I firmly believe that the jury would have imposed the death penalty on each petitioner in the absence of the psychiatric testimony because of the outrageous circumstances of petitioner’s heinous crimes, I cannot say, as Texas urges, that we can conclude that the constitutional errors were harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.