Court Opinion

ID: 9776309
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 19:30:31.812524+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:32:36.983756
License: Public Domain

STEPHENS, Chief Justice,
dissenting.
Respectfully I dissent.
The post-hypnotic statements of the witness, in my view, should be found inadmissible per se. The testimony in question inherently involves dangerous problems with reliability. These dangers include not only the possibility of suggestive statements potentially tainting the witness’ recollections, but also the potential for confabulations on the part of the witness due to subconsciously rooted motives. For example, the witness may wish to present a more acceptable version of their own participation in the events in question. Under hypnosis, this subconscious motive may be unrecognizably influential to the person being hypnotized. See People v. Shirley, 81 Cal.3d 18, 181 Cal.Rptr. 243, 723 P.2d 1354 (1982).
I recognize that the majority addresses these issues in its resolution of this case by examining the reliability of the statements in looking at both the witness’ pre and post hypnotic statements. I cannot agree that this is enough to protect the person against whom this testimony is directed. An examination of this type does not alleviate other potential risks associated with hypnosis.
For example, it is often recognized that persons who have undergone hypnosis will begin to believe with more certainty the memories recalled under hypnosis. See Shirley, at 255-56, 723 P.2d at 1366. As a result, the witness will appear more believable at trial. Further, witnesses who have undergone hypnosis may confuse the memories prior to hypnosis with recall or fabrications that occurred during hypnosis. Id. When this confused witness takes the stand for a third reiteration of his or her testimony, there exists the possibility that a third version of events or testimony may result. The majority’s treatment of hypnotic statements does nothing to address these potentially harmful effects.
As a result of the foregoing, I must dissent.
REYNOLDS and STUMBO, JJ., join this dissent.