Supreme Court of California

Court of Appeal decision reversing trial court's commitment of defendant under the Sexually Violent Predator Act is reversed, where: 1) although the Court of Appeal correctly concluded that the trial court erred in permitting disclosure of defendant's psychological records and in admitting his former therapist's testimony in reliance upon the dangerous patient exception to the psychotherapist-patient privilege; 2) this trial court error did not constitute an error of federal constitutional dimension, and thus the prejudicial nature of the error must properly be evaluated under the usual prejudicial error standard applicable to state law error set forth in People v. Watson, namely, whether it is reasonably probable that the error affected the result; and 3) applying that standard, the trial court error was not prejudicial and does not require reversal of the trial court judgment.

Appellate Information

• Decided 03/18/2013
• Published 03/18/2013

Judges

• CANTIL-SAKAUYE

Court

• Supreme Court of California

Counsel