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Insufficient Foundation for Cross Examination About Witness’ Mental Health

In upholding the limits the trial court placed upon the cross-examination of a witness concerning the witness’ mental health history, the Fourth Department wrote:

A defendant may question a witness about his or her mental health or psychiatric history upon a showing that the witness’s “capacity to perceive and recall events was impaired by a psychiatric condition” …or that “such evidence would bear upon [the witness’s] credibility or otherwise be relevant” … . Here, we conclude that defendant failed to make the requisite showing that the witness in fact had a history of mental illness or that such evidence would bear upon her capacity to perceive or recall the events at issue …. Defense counsel’s statement that the witness was “suffering from or being treated for some variety of mental health issue” was speculative…  People v Rivera, KA 08-01758, 203, 4th Dept, 4-26-13

 

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