Court Opinion

ID: 9714767
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 05:45:07.270073+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:28.411609
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE CHAPMAN, dissenting: The majority’s reliance upon Mielke is misplaced for two reasons: first, Mielke has been implicitly overruled by People v. Anderson (1986), 113 Ill. 2d 1, 495 N.E.2d 485, cert. denied (1986), 479 U.S. 1012, 93 L. Ed. 2d 713, 107 S. Ct. 658, and second, Mielke was wrongly decided. Anderson held that an expert could not only rely upon material that had not been admitted, but that the witness could also relate that material to the jury. In fact, Anderson recognized that relating the underlying basis to the jury was necessary in order for it to properly evaluate the expert’s testimony. “Absent a full explanation of the expert’s reasons, including underlying facts and opinions, the jury has no way of evaluating the expert testimony [citation] and is therefore faced with a ‘meaningless conclusion’ by the witness [citation].” Anderson, 113 Ill. 2d at 11. 495 N.E.2d at 489. While the majority might, but does not, attempt to distinguish Anderson because it dealt with reliance upon other psychiatrists’ reports rather than texts or articles, I do not feel that such an attempt would be persuasive in view of the broad language of Anderson: “However, in our judgment the logic underlying Rule 703 and this court’s decisions in Ward and Wilson compels the conclusion that an expert should be allowed to reveal the contents of materials upon which he reasonably relies in order to explain the basis of his opinion. Rule 703 was designed to ‘broaden the basis for expert opinions *** and to bring the judicial practice into line with the practice of the experts themselves when not in court.’ [Citation.] The rule thus expands the range of information available, at least indirectly, to the trier of fact. Inasmuch as the opinion based on these materials — which are deemed trustworthy by the profession — is allowed, it would be both illogical and anomalous to deprive the jury of the reasons supporting that opinion. This conclusion accords with the overwhelming weight of authority from other jurisdictions as well as a great deal of persuasive scholarly commentary. [Citations.] To prevent the expert from referring to the contents of materials upon which he relied in arriving at his conclusion ‘places an unreal stricture on him and compels him to be not only less than frank with the jury but also *** to appear to base his diagnosis upon reasons which are flimsy and inconclusive when in fact they may not be.’ [Citation.]” (Emphasis added.) Anderson, 113 Ill. 2d at 9-11, 495 N.E.2d at 488-89. The emphasized language in the above quotation does not limit the doctrine to psychiatric reports. In addition, while some of the Federal cases referred to in Anderson dealt with psychiatric reports, others approve the disclosure of such disparate bases as a Miami fraud examiner’s investigative checks with New York agencies (United States v. Ramos (11th Cir. 1984), 725 F.2d 1322, 1324); an accountant’s reliance upon audit reports (Paddack v. Dave Christensen, Inc. (9th Cir. 1984), 745 F.2d 1254, 1261-62); and a psychiatrist’s revelation that his opinion on a defendant’s sanity was based in part on conversations with Internal Revenue Service agents concerning their prior investigation of the defendant (United States v. Sims (9th Cir. 1975), 514 F.2d 147, 149). Finally, E. Cleary & M. Graham (Handbook of Illinois Evidence §703.1, at 473, 493 (4th ed. 1984)) and Saltzberg & Redden (Federal Rules of Evidence Manual 671 (4th ed. 1986)) both support the rule allowing the jury the benefit of learning the underlying basis, and both were cited with approval in Anderson. Thus, both the language of Anderson and the authorities which the supreme court relied upon in reaching its decision lead me to conclude that Mielke has been effectively overruled. However, since Anderson did not expressly refer to Mielke, I feel that a more detailed examination of its holding and the basis for the holding is in order. Mielke was a medical malpractice action brought to recover for the loss of the inner ear’s balance function which was allegedly caused by the improper administration of certain antibiotics. The plaintiff’s expert was allowed to state his opinion and to name the authorities which helped form its basis, but he was not allowed to read from the articles themselves. (The expert was also prohibited from reading from his notes, which apparently consisted of a review of the literature, an issue which is not presented in this case.) The appellate court noted that the precise issue had not been decided by an Illinois court and then proceeded to review cases which it felt considered similar questions. I will discuss the cases relied upon by Mielke in the order that they appear in the opinion, and during my discussion I will point out what I consider to be the errors in Mielke’s interpretations of their holdings. I would also note that Mielke has been the subject of critical comment. Stalmack and Switzer, Wilson v. Clark and its Progeny: The Application of Federal Rules 703 and 705 in Illinois, 67 Chi. Bar Rec. 4 (1986). The first case cited by Mielke on this point was Darling v. Charleston Community Memorial Hospital (1965), 33 Ill. 2d 326, 211 N.E.2d 253, cert. denied (1966), 383 U.S. 946, 16 L. Ed. 2d 209, 86 S. Ct. 1204, which approved the use of recognized treatises and articles in the cross-examination of expert witnesses despite the fact that they were hearsay. Mielke does not address the different treatment accorded authorities depending upon their use in cross-examination versus direct examination, and I feel that this is a legitimate area of discussion. If the concern of Mielke and my colleagues is that the hearsay material should not be disclosed to the jury, how is the holding of Darling to be squared with the holding of Mielkel To extend Mielke to cross-examination would allow the expert to be asked if he agreed with Campbell’s Orthopedics but would not allow him to be questioned about any particular statement in that book. To suggest that the use of authorities in cross-examination is different because they are used for impeachment only and not offered as substantive evidence ignores the fact that when they are submitted as bases of the expert’s opinion (as they were in this case), they are not being offered as substantive evidence either. In both situations they are being offered for nonsubstantive reasons, in both situations there is the danger that the jury will fail to recognize this distinction, but in both cases that danger can hopefully be overcome by an appropriate limiting instruction. (See Anderson, 113 Ill. 2d at 12, 495 N.E.2d at 490.) Why then should they be treated differently? I submit that they should not. But cf. Carlson, Collision Course In Expert Testimony: Limitations On Affirmative Introduction Of Underlying Data, 36 U. Fla. L. Rev. 234, 246-47 (1984). The next case cited in Mielke is Lawson v. G.D. Searle & Co. (1976), 64 Ill. 2d 543, 356 N.E.2d 779, which allowed a witness to base his opinion on “a detailed study of all the clinical studies that have been published in the literature.” (Lawson, 64 Ill. 2d at 557, 356 N.E.2d at 786.) Mielke distinguished Lawson, stating “that the witness did not mention the reports by name and did not ‘recite the empirical data drawn from the reports or the conclusions of the researchers.’ ” (Mielke, 124 Ill. App. 3d at 52, 463 N.E.2d at 225, quoting Lawson, 64 Ill. 2d at 557.) I would first point out that it seems preferable to me to require the expert to have a copy of the study available in court so that he can be effectively cross-examined on it rather than allow an opinion based upon the witness’ “detailed study.” Thus, one of the distinguishing features relied upon by Mielke reduces the reliability of the basis. The fact that the witness in Lawson did not recite empirical data or the conclusions of the researchers is a significant distinguishing feature, but it should be viewed in light of the language that immediately follows it in the supreme court opinion. “These studies represent a great mass of factual information much broader in scope than any one doctor or research team could hope to assemble. These studies are clearly a part of the scientific or professional literature which the witness could properly consider in forming his opinion. In 3 Wigmore, Evidence, sec. 687 (Chadbourn rev. ed. 1970), at page 3, it is stated: ‘Medical science is a mass of transmitted and collated data from numerous quarters; the generalizations which are the result of one man’s personal observation exclusively are the least acceptable of all. The law must recognize the methods of medical science. It cannot stultify itself by establishing, for judicial inquiries, a rule never considered necessary by the medical profession itself. It is enough for a physician, testifying to a medical fact, that he is by training and occupation a physician; whether his source of information for that particular fact is in part or entirety the hearsay of his fellow-practitioners and investigators is immaterial ***.’ ” (Lawson, 64 Ill. 2d at 557, 356 N.E.2d at 786-87.) It should further be noted that immediately following the quotation from Wigmore contained in the Lawson opinion is the following language in which Wigmore quotes Justice Holmes: “Holmes, J., in Finnegan v. Gas Works Co., 159 Mass. 312, 34 N.E. 523 (1893) (receiving testimony that after asphyxiation there is a period of conscious suffering before death, the physician having had no cases of the kind): Although it might not be admissible merely to repeat what a witness had read in a book not itself admissible, still, when one who is competent on the general subject accepts from his reading as probably true a matter of detail which he has not verified, the fact receives an authority which it would not have had from the printed page alone and, subject perhaps to the exercise of some discretion, may be admitted.” (3 J. Wigmore, Evidence §687, at 4 (Chadbourn rev. ed. 1970).) Thus Wigmore is arguing for the admission of learned treatises as substantive evidence as an exception to the hearsay rule, a position later adopted by Federal Rule 803(18) of Evidence, and one which is far more liberal than the simple allowance of such materials as the basis for the expert’s opinion. Immediately following its attempt to distinguish Lawson, the court in Mielke states: “The more recent case of Walski v. Tiesenga (1978), 72 Ill. 2d 249, [381 N.E.2d 279,] supports defendant’s position on appeal.” (Mielke, 124 Ill. App. 3d at 53, 463 N.E.2d at 225.) And Mielke quotes the following language from Walski: “ ‘Such is not the law in this jurisdiction at this time, and it is unnecessary for us to decide now whether and under what circumstances a plaintiff may introduce medical treatises as substantive evidence; plaintiff has made no attempt to introduce the treatises used to cross-examine Dr. Tiesenga as substantive evidence.’ ” Mielke, 124 Ill. App. 3d at 53, 463 N.E.2d at 225, quoting Walski, 72 Ill. 2d at 258-59, 381 N.E.2d at 283. In response I would argue that Walski offered very little support for the defendant’s position. First, the quote from Walski is dicta since the quoted language itself establishes that the plaintiff in Walski did not attempt to introduce the treatises as substantive evidence. Second, the remainder of the paragraph relied upon by Mielke provides: “Cf. Lawson v. G.D. Searle & Co. (1976), 64 Ill. 2d 543, 556-58, holding that it was not improper for defendant’s expert to testify that he based his opinion on clinical studies published in the literature since the law cannot ignore that medical science is a mass of transmitted and collated data.” (Walski, 72 Ill. 2d at 259, 381 N.E.2d at 283.) Therefore the paragraph as a whole suggests that the use of authoritative sources is proper in some instances. Mielke next cites Plost v. Louis A. Weiss Memorial Hospital (1978), 62 Ill. App. 3d 253, 259, 378 N.E.2d 1176, 1180, for the proposition that scientific works are generally not admissible as direct evidence. While language to that effect is to be found in Plost, it is dicta since the case dealt with the trial court’s refusal to grant a continuance. After briefly referring to People v. Ward (1975), 61 Ill. 2d 559, 338 N.E.2d 171, and Wilson v. Clark (1981), 84 Ill. 2d 186, 417 N.E.2d 1322, the Mielke court mentions five cases that dealt more directly with the issue involved: the reference to materials that formed the basis of the expert’s opinion. Four of those five cases (People v. Rhoads (1979), 73 Ill. App. 3d 288, 391 N.E.2d 512; People v. Castro (1983), 113 Ill. App. 3d 265, 446 N.E.2d 1267; Kinsey v. Kolber (1982), 103 Ill. App. 3d 933, 431 N.E.2d 1316; In re Germich (1981), 103 Ill. App. 3d 626, 431 N.E.2d 1092) approved the practice of allowing the basis of the expert’s opinion to be related to the jury. The fifth case, In re Smilley (1977), 54 Ill. App. 3d 31, 369 N.E.2d 315, held that it was error, although harmless, to admit the underlying report, but Smilley might well have reached a different conclusion if the foundation requirements had been met in that case. The final three cases relied upon by Mielke (Bailey v. City of Chicago (1983), 116 Ill. App. 3d 862, 452 N.E.2d 680; Fornoff v. Parke-Davis & Co. (1982), 105 Ill. App. 3d 681, 434 N.E.2d 793; Mehochko v. Gold Seal Co. (1966), 66 Ill. App. 2d 54, 213 N.E.2d 581), all involved situations in which the movant was either relying upon or attempting to introduce the bases of the opinion as substantive evidence. Again, that is not the situation that presented itself in Mielke nor is it the situation presented here. Reliance upon cases which hold that evidence is inadmissible for one purpose is appropriate if that is the purpose for which the evidence was offered. However, if the evidence may be properly considered for some other limited purpose, reliance on the absolute prohibition is inappropriate. A recap of the authorities relied upon by Mielke is listed below: Walski ) Plost ) Bailey ) (disapprove use of basis as substantive evidence) Fornoff ) Mehochko ) Ward ) (do not address issue of relating basis to jury Wilson ) although it apparently occurred) Darling ) (approves use of treatises in cross-examination) Lawson ) (approves reference to published clinical studies) Rhoads ) Castro ) (approve relating the basis to the jury) Kinsey ) Germich ) Smilley ) (disapproves relation to the jury at least partially because of an improper foundation) Thus the first nine cases do not address the specific issue involved, and of the remaining five cases, four approve relating the basis to the jury. While judicial decision making is not a numbers game, it does seem to me that the Mielke decision gave an undue amount of weight to cases involving issues different from the one before it. In addition, there was other authority that Mielke neither referred to nor discussed. The five cases on the specific issue referred to in Mielke were all from the first district, albeit from different divisions (Kinsey, Germich (1st Dist., 1st Div.); Castro (1st Dist., 2d Div.); Smilley (1st Dist., 4th Div.); Rhoads (1st Dist., 5th Div.)). Other districts have also ruled on the issue of relating the basis to the jury. The second district in People v. Sharkey (1978), 60 Ill. App. 3d 257, 263-64, 376 N.E.2d 464, 468-69, approved the practice. The third district in Smith v. Broscheid (1964), 46 Ill. App. 2d 117, 124-25, 196 N.E.2d 380, 384, a pre-Ward-Wilson decision, affirmed a ruling allowing the testimony of one physician based upon information from another physician, citing “3 Wigmore, Evidence, p. 8, par. 688.” Finally, the fifth district in Smith v. Williams (1975), 34 Ill. App. 3d 677, 681-82, 339 N.E.2d 10, 14, and Clemons v. Alton & Southern R.R. Co. (1977), 56 Ill. App. 3d 328, 337-38, 370 N.E.2d 679, 685-86, has held that a testifying doctor can read consultation notes to the jury as substantive evidence as an exception to the hearsay rule under the authority of Ward. The last two cases have been criticized as going too far (Spector, People v. Ward: Toward a Reconstruction of Expert Testimony in Illinois, 26 De Paul L. Rev. 284 (1977)). Without adopting the rule of Smith and Clemons, since that issue is not before us, I would agree with Rhoads that, whether or not the statements are admissible as exceptions to the hearsay rule, it is certainly permissible for an expert to relate their contents to the jury. From the above discussion it is apparent that the first, second, third and fifth districts had almost unanimously approved relating the underlying basis to the jury prior to Mielke. It should be pointed out that all of the cases referred to above dealt with doctors referring to other medical or psychiatric materials that they relied upon in forming their opinions. Thus, Mielke is the only Illinois case to date dealing with the question of reference to medical texts or other authoritative works. Perhaps it would be helpful to examine some analogous situations to test the wisdom of the ruling in Mielke. Assume that the members of a jury are attending their respective houses of worship in order to gain insight on the proper method of decision making in a matter of supreme importance to them, the eventual destination of their souls. Perhaps the attendance of all is not motivated by such eternal considerations; some may be more concerned with guidance on more earthly matters such as properly filing their income tax returns or casting a vote on an upcoming presidential election that offers a choice between a hawk and a dove. While lawyers in trial in any given case at any given time are always convinced that the trial in progress is the most important event not only in their lives, but in everyone else’s, this is not always the case. Jurors have an appropriate concern for the importance of their duty, but they also have their own lives to lead, hence their attempts to seek spiritual guidance. Religion being what it is, they rarely receive replies to such specific questions as are set out above; the advice given to assist them in their decision making is usually of a more general nature. For example, a rabbi might say, “Stealing isn’t good” and refer to Exodus, chapter 20, verse 15, or a Christian minister might say, “Fighting isn’t good” and refer to Matthew, chapter 5, verse 9. Quite obviously the rabbi and the minister are learned men, experts if you will, in this area of endeavor, and their advice, or opinion, is respected and may be followed solely because of their advanced state of learning. The persuasiveness of the advice may also be increased by their reference to the Bible, a recognized source in their field, one that is relied upon by them and other experts. But people sincerely trying to make decisions that may affect their souls, or govern their everyday lives, want more. What do they want? They want to know more than that the person offering the advice is more knowledgeable than they, no matter how knowledgeable he is. They want to know more than simply a numerical reference to a learned work, no matter how revered it is. They want to know what the work itself says. Why? So that they can better judge both the expert and his advice. Shouldn’t the seekers of truth be allowed to hear, “Thou shalt not steal” or “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God”? Mielke would say “No.” Having passed through and referred to both the Old and the New Testaments, let us now return to the present. If I had begun and ended this dissent with, “I dissent from the majority’s reliance upon Mielke” and followed that statement with a string of citations that covered five pages, the readers might reach one of several conclusions about this dissenting opinion: (1) that the citations would be viewed with disfavor under Supreme Court Rule 341(e)(7) (107 Ill. 2d R. 341(e)(7)); (2) that it is neither particularly persuasive nor clear as to what my position is; or (3) that they wished they knew what the citations that I had strung together had to say about the subject so that they could better determine whether to agree with the majority or the dissent. Conclusions two and three are obviously the ones which I wish the readers to draw. Mielke and the majority allow a list of authorities to be read to a jury, but prohibit any reference to, explanation of, or recitation from the authorities. It is the latter that are the meaningful aspects of the process. We now move backward in time a short distance and remove ourselves from the fields of religion and law and turn to the playing fields of America to examine the following hypothetical situation. Assume that some years ago Stan Musial was being sponsored for induction into baseball’s Hall of Fame and an admittedly qualified expert such as Jack Buck was prepared to testify before a panel comprised of people who were completely unknowledgeable about baseball. I realize that this is not the process followed, and that such a panel may not exist, but bear with me for a page or two. The following colloquy occurs: “Q. Mr. Buck, in your opinion, should Mr. Musial be admitted to the hall of fame? A. Yes.” Note that the procedure followed is that allowed by Federal Rule of Evidence 705, the statement of the opinion alone. Note also that it is not particularly persuasive and that the basis for it isn’t clear. Therefore the examiner, competent lawyer that she is, follows with another question: “Q. Upon what do you base that opinion? A. Upon many years of watching him play.” Again data or information coming from personal experience is perfectly allowable under Federal Rule of Evidence 703, and while this buttressing of the opinion makes it slightly more clear and persuasive, the examiner seeks more: “Q. Any other basis? A. Yes, The Baseball Encyclopedia, which I and other experts in this field rely upon, publishes a player’s statistics such as batting average, number of hits, number of doubles, triples, homers, etcetera. Q. What do these terms mean? ^ Assume that an explanation is given for each of the terms for the benefit of this admittedly hard to find and arguably un-American panel. So far, so good; Federal Rule of Evidence 703 has sanctioned our examiner again. What was our panel thinking at this point, however? That question has also occurred to our skillful examiner so she asks: “Q. What do these authorities reveal about Mr. Musial?1  Opposing Counsel: Objection, Mr. Hearing Officer, that question calls for hearsay. Q. I am offering these materials only as a basis of my expert’s opinion and you can give a limiting instruction to the panel to that effect. Hearing Officer: Objection sustained because of the holding in Mielke.” This result, possibly depriving Mr. Musial of his well-earned niche in the Hall of Fame, and more importantly depriving the panel of the benefit of the recitation of reliable data and the ability to adequately judge the credibility of the expert, is the reason for my dissent. With some reluctance I will leave my alliterative meandering from the Bible to baseball and return to the law. On doing so let us first ascertain what type of materials the courts have allowed an expert to rely upon and to relate to jurors since Mielke and then let us examine whether learned treatises are either more or less appropriate as subjects to relate to the jury. The cases will be organized according to districts. First District. Piano v. Davison (1987), 157 Ill. App. 3d 649, 510 N.E.2d 1066, was a medical malpractice action which alleged negligent diagnosis and surgical treatment of the plaintiff’s condition. The court allowed an expert to read verbatim from nurse’s notes and indicated that during cross-examination the expert could testify as to the contents of medical records. Piano also allowed reference to learned treatises as a basis of the expert’s opinion and may have allowed recitation of the contents of those treatises: “Plaintiffs contend further that several times defense witnesses were improperly permitted to testify regarding the basis of their opinions. Generally, an expert may base an opinion upon specialized knowledge, including facts, data, or opinions contained in a learned treatise recognized as reliable authority. [Citing Lawson.]” Piano, 157 Ill. App. 3d at 669-70, 510 N.E.2d at 1080-81. In re Scruggs (1986), 151 Ill. App. 3d 260, 502 N.E.2d 1108, involved a woman who was adjudged subject to involuntary admission under the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code. The court approved the testimony of a clinical psychologist who relied upon and related to the finder of fact that the manager of the respondent’s apartment had told him that the respondent had opened her apartment door in the nude to a carpenter who had been sent by the manager to do some work on the apartment. People v. Sassu (1986), 151 Ill. App. 3d 199, 502 N.E.2d 1047, was a murder case in which a toxicologist was allowed to relate test results to the jury which showed the absence of marijuana or its active metabolites in the victims’ blood. These test results had been received by phone from a forensic laboratory in Canada. Hatfield v. Sandoz-Wander, Inc. (1984), 124 Ill. App. 3d 780, 464 N.E.2d 1105, was a strict liability action in which the plaintiff claimed that she lost her eyesight as a result of ingesting a prescription drug over an extended period of time. Hatfield approved reliance by experts upon deposition testimony of doctors, pharmacists, and the plaintiff. It is unclear from the opinion in Hatfield as to whether this material was related to the jury. Second District. Department of Transportation ex rel. People v. Amoco Oil Co. (1988), 174 Ill. App. 3d 479, 528 N.E.2d 1018, was a condemnation case in which the court approved an expert referring to and relating to the jury figures on comparable sales as a basis of his opinion. Third District. Henry v. Brenner (1985), 138 Ill. App. 3d 609, 486 N.E.2d 934, was a personal injury suit arising out of an auto accident in which the court approved a medical doctor testifying to the contents of medical records prepared by other doctors in his office. While Henry is concerned only with the reports of other doctors, it does contain the following language: “Under Rule 705, an expert, once found qualified, can simply state his opinion. And, of course, a full presentation developing in detail the expert witness’ qualifications, basis, opinions and reasoning is permissible upon direct examination. Facts, data, and opinions not themselves admitted into evidence may be included in such disclosure if the requirements of Federal Rule 703 are satisfied. Cross-examination may then be used to reveal the expert’s basis for his opinion is inadequate, and the expert’s opinion may then be stricken as based upon conjecture or speculation.” (Henry, 138 Ill. App. 3d at 614, 486 N.E.2d at 936.) In its concluding paragraphs Henry notes that Federal Rule 703 may provide opportunities for abuse, but that the trial judge properly gave a limiting instruction “which allowed the jury a more candid statement of the reasons supporting Dr. Cooper’s conclusions.” Henry, 138 Ill. App. 3d at 615, 486 N.E.2d at 936. Montefusco v. Cecon Construction Co. (1979), 74 Ill. App. 3d 319, 392 N.E.2d 1103, involved a claim for structural damage to a building. The court allowed an expert registered engineer to refer to and rely upon correspondence and conversations with suppliers of materials. The expert was also allowed to refer to an authoritative book published by the American National Standards Institute. It is somewhat unclear but these matters may also have been related to the jury. Fourth District. Mayer v. Baisier (1986), 147 Ill. App. 3d 150, 497 N.E.2d 827, was a medical malpractice case in which the court approved allowing the expert to testify to the contents of hospital records in explaining the basis of his opinion. Manning v. Mock (1983), 119 Ill. App. 3d 788, 457 N.E.2d 447, was a will contest action in which the court approved a gerontologist’s reference to nursing home records as a basis for his opinion. It is unclear whether the contents of the nursing home records were related to the jury. Fifth District. Thomas v. Brandt (1986), 144 Ill. App. 3d 95, 493 N.E.2d 1142, was a personal injury action arising from a motor vehicle accident in which an orthopedic surgeon was allowed to rely upon and relate to the jury the results of a blood-alcohol test on the plaintiff even though the hospital technician didn’t recall who took the test, the work sheets on the method and procedure had been lost, and there was some question of whether it was the plaintiff’s blood which was tested. As was noted earlier, in People v. Anderson (1986), 113 Ill. 2d 1, 495 N.E.2d 485, the supreme court held that a psychiatric expert should be allowed to relate to the jury other psychiatric reports which he relied upon. We thus have the Illinois courts approving relation to the jury of the above types of bases of their opinions. It seems to me that the next logical question to ask is whether or not learned treatises are more or less appropriate in terms of the necessity for and reliability of their contents. In making this determination a reference to some of the commentators may be helpful. As a prelude to the commentators’ opinions in this area I would offer one further example of what I feel is the unreasonableness of the result reached in MielJce. In practically every civil jury trial in Illinois the jury will be told sometime during the course of the case that “the court will instruct you on the law applicable to this case at its close.” The jury patiently awaits the words of wisdom from the court; the promise is inevitably kept, and the court furnishes the law to the jury. Isn’t the court acting as an expert in performing this function— an expert on the law? Indeed, since the jury must accept the law as given by the court, while it is free to accept or reject any other expert’s opinion, isn’t the judge a sort of super-expert? And what is the source of this expert’s opinion? The judge’s knowledge in this area obviously begins with law school, with exposure to principles, the analysis of factual and legal patterns, and the retention of a portion of hundreds of years of accumulated wisdom contained in written words. This base of knowledge is amplified by engaging in the practice of law for a period of years during which the contents of an additional untold number of advance sheets and articles are perused. This process continues after the person becomes a judge. With all this training, study, and experience available where does a court go to obtain the law to impart to the jury? The answer in well over 90% of the cases is the Illinois Pattern Jury Instructions (IPI). Even in those situations where the IPI does not contain an appropriate statement of the law, the instruction does not spring full grown from the brow of the court; the bench may be elevated, but it is not Mt. Olympus. In the relatively few instances that an appropriate statement isn’t found in IPI it comes from the reported cases, and the judge fashions an instruction to fit the case on trial. This reliance upon recognized authorities (IPI and the case law) occurs in every trial, and in every jury trial the basis of the court’s opinion on the law is then related to the jury. If this procedure is so fraught with the danger of abuse, why is it so universally accepted? On the other hand, if the procedure is proper why isn’t it followed with other experts? This isn’t a novel question. As Wigmore points out, it was raised almost 300 years ago: “Certainly the practice which allows the use of legal treatises, even domestic only, confesses the principle which admits learned treatises generally: Spencer Cowper’s Trial, 13 How. St. Tr. 1106, 1163 (1699). Dr. Crell: ‘Now, my lord, I will give you the opinion of several ancient authors.’ BARON HATSELL: ‘Pray, doctor, tell us your own observations.’ Dr. Crell: ‘My lord, it must be reading, as well as a man’s own experience, that will make any one a physician, for without the reading of books of that art, the art itself cannot be attained to. Besides, my lord, I conceive that in such a difficult case as this we ought to have a great deference for the reports and opinions of learned men. Neither do I see why I should not quote the fathers of my profession in this case as well as you gentlemen of the long robe quote Coke upon Littleton in others.’ ” (Emphasis added.) 6 J. Wigmore, Evidence §1697, at 16 (Chadbourn rev. ed. 1976). I must add that in these sections of his work Professor Wigmore is advocating the heresy of the adoption of a learned treatise exception to the hearsay rule. The plaintiff in this case did not attempt to reach so high, but if the reasoning behind the adoption of such a rule is sound, isn’t it equally applicable to a rule which would allow a basis found in a learned treatise to be related to the jury? I submit that it is, and will therefore briefly summarize Wigmore’s analysis, found in sections 1690 through 1713. Professor Wigmore contends that the learned treatise exception should be examined in light of the general considerations applied to other hearsay exceptions: is the exception necessary and is the material trustworthy? On the issue of necessity: “The ordinary expert witness, in perhaps the larger proportion of the topics upon which he may be questioned, has not a knowledge derived from personal observation. He virtually reproduces, literally or in substance, conclusions of others which he accepts on the authority of the eminent names responsible for them. *** Whether such persons are legally unavailable, or whether it is merely a question of relative expense, the principle of necessity (§1421 supra) is equally satisfied; and we should be permitted to avail ourselves of their testimony in the printed form in which it is most convenient.” 6 J. Wigmore, Evidence §1691, at 5-6 (Chadbourn rev. ed. 1976). On the issue of trustworthiness: “(a) There is no need of assuming a higher degree of sincerity for learned writers as a class than for other persons; but we may at least say that in the usual instance their state of mind fulfils the ordinary requirement for the hearsay exceptions, namely, that the declarant should have ‘no motive to misrepresent.’ They may have a bias in favor of a theory, but it is a bias in favor of the truth as they see it; it is not a bias in favor of a lawsuit or of an individual. Their statement is made with no view to a litigation or to the interests of a litigable affair. *** (b) The writer of a learned treatise publishes primarily for his profession. He knows that every conclusion will be subjected to careful professional criticism, and is open ultimately to certain refutation if not well founded; that his reputation depends on the correctness of his data and the validity of his conclusions; and that he might better not have written than put forth statements in which may be detected a lack of sincerity of method and of accuracy of results. *** (c) Finally, the probabilities of accuracy, such as they are, at least are greater than those which accompany the testimony of many expert witnesses on the stand. The abuses of expert testimony, arising from the fact that such witnesses are too often in effect paid to take a partisan view and are practically untrustworthy, are too well known to repeat (§563 supra). It must be conceded that those who write with no view to litigation are at least as trustworthy, though unsworn and unexamined, as perhaps the greater portion of those who take the stand for a fee from one of the litigants.” 6 J. Wigmore, Evidence §1692, at 6-7 (Chadbourn rev. ed. 1976). At the time the above words were written by Professor Wigmore his position was admittedly the minority one. (6 J. Wigmore, Evidence §1693, at 7-12 (Chadbourn rev. ed. 1976).) He is not alone in his position, however. (See Rheingold, The Basis Of Medical Testimony, 15 Vand. L. Rev. 473 (1962); Morgan, Suggested Remedy For Obstructions To Expert Testimony By Rules Of Evidence, 10 U. Chi. L. Rev. 285 (1942); Maguire and Hahesy, Requisite Proof Of Basis For Expert Opinion, 5 Vand. L. Rev. 432 (1952).) Professor Maguire has a particularly apt response to the concern of some that jurors may be prone to regard written materials with too much reverence: “Our faith in democracy and freedom of expression rests confidently on assumption of the public’s power to avoid being fooled by deceitful writings. It is not without relevance that Holmes’ famous statement advocating ‘free trade in ideas’ and the testing of truth by ‘the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market’ referred to the content of printed leaflets which he apparently deemed loathsome. Why should we trust the citizen to discount alluring false propaganda in the shock and turmoil of life, yet treat him as a ninny when he reaches the comparatively ordered calm of the jury box? The contrast is all the more cutting because what we shrink from letting him see in court is often carefully and disinterestedly composed printed or typed material, intended to be accurate and carrying only a minimum risk of error.” (Emphasis added.) Maguire and Hahesy, 5 Vand. L. Rev. at 440. Or to put it in the more pungent words of Judge Warren Wolfson, “Why treat jurors like mushrooms, keeping them in the dark and feeding them manure?” (Comment by Warren Wolfson, Circuit Judge of Cook County, at Regional Judicial Seminar in Collinsville, Illinois (October 1987).) It should be noted that Wigmore’s call for an exception for learned treatises has been answered by the adoption of Federal Rule of Evidence 803(18), which provides: “The following are not excluded by the hearsay rule, even though the declarant is available as a witness: * * * (18) Learned treatises. To the extent called to the attention of an expert witness upon cross-examination or relied upon by [him] in direct examination, statements contained in published treatises, periodicals, or pamphlets on a subject of history, medicine, or other science or art, established as a reliable authority by the testimony or admission of the witness or by other expert testimony or by judicial notice. If admitted, the statements may be read into evidence but may not be received as exhibits.” While this case does not present the question of the admission of the text as substantive evidence, I find it impossible in these days of increasing costs of litigation not to include two final quotes from Wig-more on this point: “Costly litigation is the parasite of justice; and we pay too high a price when we refuse to accept our information from a competent source ready at hand.” (6 J. Wigmore, Evidence §1691, at 6 (Chadbourn Rev. ed. 1976).) “The readiness with which the judges rely upon anonymous legal authors’ statements in cyclopedias and compilations, but reject the most distinguished authors in natural science, is of course an inconsistency which baffles the layman and brings on the law the sneers of the representatives of other sciences when called to the witness stand.” 6 J. Wigmore, Evidence §1697, at 14-15 (Chadbourn Rev. ed. 1976). From the foregoing comments it is obvious there is considerable support for relating the bases of experts’ opinions to the jury. The question that arises is, is there any commentator criticism on the practice? The answer is yes, but in my judgment even that criticism would not apply to the situation presented in this case. The most specific criticism may be found in two articles by Professor Ronald Carlson. (Carlson, Policing The Bases Of Modern Expert Testimony, 39 Vand. L. Rev. 577 (1986); Carlson, Collision Course In Expert Testimony: Limitations On Affirmative Introduction Of Underlying Data, 36 U. Fla. L. Rev. 234 (1984).) In answering the question whether or not the lawyer who calls an expert is entitled to read the basis into evidence, Professor Carlson states: “As has been explained, strict principles of expert, hearsay, and confrontation law require that the answer to the above question be an emphatic no. *** This Essay is not intended to suggest that experts should be denied the use of unadmitted hearsay to form and propound expert opinions. Rather, the analysis speaks to the impropriety of receiving in wholesale fashion the unauthenticated background data as an exhibit on behalf of the party that offered the expert’s courtroom opinion. Once the expert identifies the sources for his conclusions during direct examination, the reference to outside material is complete. Furthermore, in criminal cases, permitting the expert to go beyond this point and recite extensively from another person’s report significantly damages the confrontation clause of the Constitution. This back door introduction of the contents of a non-testifying expert’s report, without producing the author of the material, impinges on the criminal defendant’s sixth amendment rights.” Carlson, Modern Expert Testimony, 39 Vand. L. Rev. at 585. Professor Carlson’s comments received a prompt reply. Professor Paul Rice noted that most courts do not allow the underlying data to be admitted as evidence but do permit the reference to the otherwise inadmissible background information. He then argues: “Thus, on the one hand, the jury may consider the facts or data upon which the expert based her opinion to assess the weight to be given to that opinion. Yet, on the other hand, the jury, when deciding whether to arrive at the same conclusion, cannot accept what the expert relied upon as true. In reaching its own conclusion, the jury can rely only upon the product of that evidence — the expert’s opinion. If this practice sounds like judicial double talk, it is.” (Rice, Inadmissible Evidence as a Basis for Expert Opinion Testimony: A Response to Professor Carlson, 40 Vand. L. Rev. 583, 584 (1987).) Professor Rice goes on to argue that the materials relied upon by the expert should be admitted as substantive evidence under certain guidelines. I point out that this court is not being asked to adopt the position of Professor Rice; the only question for us is whether these materials can be related to the jury as a basis for the expert’s opinion. Returning to Professor Carlson’s concern about the “impropriety of receiving in wholesale fashion the unauthenticated background data as an exhibit on behalf of the party that offered the expert’s courtroom opinion” (Carlson, Modern Expert Testimony, 39 Vand. L. Rev. at 585), I would argue that he is not nearly so worried about the relation to the jury of the material from learned treatises which Mielke prohibits, as he is about the disclosure of the types of material that have already been approved in Illinois, such as the psychological reports in Ward or the statements about a nude tenant by an apartment manager in Scruggs. I base this argument not only upon my own already stated view, but also upon a suggested amendment to Federal Rule of Evidence 703 which is contained in Professor Carlson’s 1986 article: “One productive idea might be to add a new section (b) to Rule 703 incorporating the following concept: In criminal cases, and generally in civil cases, underlying expert data must be independently admissible in order to be received in evidence. An expert’s reliance on unadmitted data does not mandate introduction of the data, where the sole reason for introduction is that it formed a basis for the expert’s opinion. When good cause is shown in civil cases and the underlying information is particularly trustworthy, the court may admit the data under this rule to illustrate the basis for the expert’s opinion.” (Emphasis added.) (Carlson, Modern Expert Testimony, 39 Vand. L. Rev. at 58 n.29.) Even if we do not consider learned treatises as independently admissible under Federal Rule 803 (18), the emphasized portion of the proposed amendment would certainly include learned treatises because of their “particularly trustworthy” nature. I will now refer to one final commentator, Professor Imwinkelried, not only because I feel his views support my position, but, more importantly, because I feel that he offers an excellent analysis of the problems inherent in expert testimony. A series of quotes from Professor Imwinkelried’s article The “Bases” Of Expert Testimony: A Syllogistic Structure Of Scientific Testimony, 67 N.C. L. Rev. 1 (1988), follows: “Source materials such as books, lectures, treatises, and textbooks state the principles and theories which function as the expert’s major premise. In contrast, statements by a patient and tests of the patient by the other doctors furnish the witness with the minor premise; they supply the data about the present case to which the expert applies the major premise.” Imwinkelried, Syllogotic Structure, 67 N.C. L. Rev. at 4. “There is a strong case for liberally allowing scientists to choose the general theories and principles comprising their major premise even when doing so necessitates reliance on hearsay sources of information such as treatises written by other scientists. As one court stated, it would be ‘virtually impossible’ for a scientist to avoid relying on hearsay sources of information. That observation is an understatement. The reality is that ‘no scientist] *** can possibly have firsthand knowledge of all the data comprising his field.’ Any scientific testimony invariably rests on such sources as the expert’s college textbooks and the lectures she has heard since graduation. The witness has undoubtedly reviewed the published studies conducted by other scientists, and common sense dictates that the witness be permitted to rely on those works even though the witness did not participate directly in those studies. It would be absurd to limit the expert to scientific studies she had personally conducted. Would we require a modern accident reconstruction expert to replicate Newton’s seventeenth century experiments to derive the laws of motion? Suppose that a physicist is testifying about the safety of a nuclear power plant. If the physicist contemplates relying on the works of Fermi or Oppenheimer, would we require that the physicist duplicate their research? Imposing that requirement would effectively bar all scientific testimony. To put the matter bluntly, permitting scientific witnesses to consider the theories and studies of other researchers is an absolute necessity. Moreover, the witness’ choice of theories and studies to employ as a major premise should be afforded substantial deference. The scientific witness is an expert precisely because he has intensively studied the literature in that field. That study may be the witness’ life work. The witness’ sphere of expertise consists of mastery of the concepts, methodologies, principles, and theories peculiar to the witness’ scientific discipline. The scientific witness knows ‘the ways of his work’ better than the judge or jurors. In selecting a major premise, the witness acts in his capacity as an expert. Because the scientific witness has unique, superior expertise in the field, the witness’ choice of a major premise warrants great respect. When we turn to the witness’ selection of information as a minor premise, a radically different picture emerges. There is no absolute necessity to permit resort to hearsay sources, there is a much less compelling case for deference to the witness’ selection, and by its very nature the information serving as the minor premise poses peculiar probative dangers at trial.” (Emphasis added.) Imwinkelried, Syllogotic Structure, 67 N.C. L. Rev. at 8-10. Two things should be noted at this time: first, Imwinkelried’s analysis states that the major premise materials are appropriately the subject of discussion under Federal Rule of Evidence 702 which our supreme court did not adopt in Wilson; second, in the above quotations Imwinkelried is not specifically discussing the relation of these materials to the jury. The analysis contained in the above quotations is crucial, however, in understanding his later comments on the subject of disclosing matters to the jury: “One school of thought is that if a report otherwise satisfies rule 703, the trier of fact should receive the full detail of the report. The advocates of this school argue that the trier cannot intelligently evaluate the worth of the expert’s opinion unless the trier has the benefit of all the detail of the report. The only required safeguard is that the judge give the jury a limiting instruction under Federal Rule of Evidence 105. The competing school of thought is that the judge should be cautious in exposing the jury to independently inadmissible information. The proponents of this school fear that despite the limiting instruction, the jury will misuse the information as substantive evidence on the merits of the case. The major-minor premise distinction proposed by this Article strengthens the position of the latter school of thought. Section II noted that the danger that the jury will misuse the information contained in the expert’s major premise is minimal since that information rarely overlaps with the disputed adjudicative facts in the case. In contrast, the danger of misuse of the information included in the witness’ minor premise is substantial since that information frequently coincides with controverted facts such as the manner in which the traffic accident causing the personal injuries occurred.” (Emphasis added.) Imwinkelried, Syllogotic Structure, 67 N. C. L. Rev. at 26. Thus, Imwinkelried would apparently agree with Professor Carlson’s concern about relating case-specific materials to the jury, but as the emphasized portion of the last quote indicates, he would not have the same concern about materials contained in learned treatises which are a part of the expert’s major premise. Examining this case in view of the foregoing analysis, we find that there was reference by the plaintiff’s expert to materials comprising the minor premise, i.e., the hospital records. There was no objection to this testimony which is not surprising in view of Wilson. There was also a general reference by the defense expert to the underlying literature. Again there was no objection to this testimony which obviously formed a part of the expert’s major premise. When the plaintiff attempted to relate specific, rather than general, statements from recognized journals the defendant’s objection was sustained. As has been indicated earlier there was no attempt to introduce these statements as substantive evidence; they were offered only to explain the basis of the expert’s opinion. In addition, although not necessarily controlling, the references were not so lengthy as to be a burden on the court’s time. Only four journals were referred to; from the medical journal Spine, less than 10 sentences in all were submitted. Anderson authorizes the trial court to give limiting instructions and to examine the proffered articles and exclude those whose probative value is outweighed by their prejudicial effect. The trial court did not do that in this case because of its reliance on Mielke. This was error in my opinion, and I would reverse and remand for a new trial. In closing I would quote from the announcer of the now long-gone radio program “The Lone Ranger” who opened each episode with “Let us return now to the days of yesteryear.” Following his advice I would submit two cases from the last century: Nash v. Classen (1896), 163 Ill. 409, 45 N.E. 276, which allowed a farmer to refer to a recognized trade paper to obtain quotes on shelled corn to establish the appropriate price; and Carter v. Carter (1894), 152 Ill. 434, 28 N.E. 948, which allowed a witness to testify that the people in the next hotel room were committing adultery based on the sounds emanating from the adjoining room. I would then pose the following question after apologizing in advance to Mr. Stevens, a true poet lawyer:2  If quotes on shelled corn and concupiscent sounds may both be related as fine, Why then rebuff such trustworthy stuff as the scholarly statements from Spinel  Stan Musial: AB H 2B 3B HR BA 10,972 3,630 725 177 475 .331 (The Baseball Encyclopedia 1240 (J. Reichler 4th ed. 1979)). I realize that by including Mr. Musial’s statistics I am violating the Mielke holding, but it should be apparent by now that I disagree quite strongly with it. In addition, it occurs to me that the reader might be curious about them, and in this matter I am reminded of the funeral scene in Huckleberry Finn when everyone was gathered in the parlor of the deceased’s home and the proceedings were disrupted by a yowling dog in the basement. The undertaker quietly went downstairs, there was a sharp whack, the yowling ceased, and the undertaker returned and said, “He had a rat!” As Huck noted, “You could see it was a great satisfaction to the people, because naturally they wanted to know.” M. Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, in The Family Mark Twain 570 (1988).   See Wallace Stevens, The Emperor of Ice Cream, The New Oxford Book of American Verse 446 (R. Ellman ed. 1976).