Appellants appeal their convictions by a jury of armed robbery, D.C.Code §§ 22-2901, -3202 (1981 & Supp.1984), and appel *483 lant Collins appeals his conviction of carrying a pistol without a license, id. § 22-3204. They assign as error the trial court’s refusal to order a competency examination of the complainant and to allow cross-examination about the complainant's alleged psychiatric treatment and prior arrest for gun possession. Appellants Baldwin and Collins also assign as error the denial of a motion for discovery of the witness’ psychological and psychiatric records, and appellant Collins contends the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress the lineup and in-court identifications. We find these claims unpersuasive and affirm.
I
Sherlock Muirhead testified that on April 27, 1982, around 3 p.m., while he was standing near Kennedy Street and Georgia Avenue, N.W., three men drove up in a car, one of whom (Collins) got out of the car, pointed a gun at him, and ordered him into the car. A second man (Best), whom Muir-head recognized as “Fat Scrapper,” drove the car while Collins continued to point the gun at Muirhead. During the drive, Collins took forty-five dollars ($45) from Muir-head’s pockets and a third man (Baldwin) removed Muirhead’s watch from his wrist. Collins also asked the others whether they should kill Muirhead. Baldwin responded that he did not care; Best said they should let Muirhead go since he would not tell the police. Muirhead was let out of the car at Illinois and Georgia Avenues, and he called the police, giving a description of the three men and the car, as well as the license plate number.
Approximately three hours later, the police found Collins standing next to the car Muirhead had described. As the police approached, Collins tossed a loaded gun into the bushes, which Muirhead later identified as similar to the gun which Collins had pointed at him. While the police were speaking to Collins, Baldwin, who fit the description given by Muirhead, joined Collins. When the police asked them about the robbery, Collins denied that he and Baldwin had been at Georgia Avenue and Kennedy Street that day. Both Collins and Baldwin were arrested; Muirhead’s watch was found on Collins. Best was arrested several weeks later, on a warrant, while he was walking with Baldwin.
• The defense claimed that Muirhead had fabricated the robbery. Collins testified he had done repair work on Muirhead’s car, and Muirhead never fully paid him. When he saw Muirhead on April 27, he approached him about the payment, and Muir-head pulled out a gun. Collins grabbed the gun and asked Muirhead when he was going to pay for the repairs. Muirhead began acting “fidgety,” so Collins hit him in the face, knocking him down. Muirhead then said he would pay the following Friday, and gave Collins his watch, several bags of marijuana and two bags of aluminum foil as collateral for the debt. Collins returned to his car, and drove off with Baldwin.
Best testified he had no recollection of what he had done on April 27th. He admitted knowing Muirhead but claimed he did not know Collins. Baldwin did not testify. In rebuttal, the government offered evidence to show that Muirhead had not registered a car in the District of Columbia between 1980 and the time of trial.
II
Appellants filed pretrial motions for a psychiatric examination of Muirhead to determine his competency to testify at trial and for discovery under Brady v. Maryland 1 of his psychological and psychiatric records. Attached to the motion for a competency examination was an affidavit of Ms. Sheffield, defense counsel for Best, and a letter from a psychologist suggesting hypothetically, on the basis of what Ms. Sheffield had related, that Muirhead might suffer from schizophrenia or a neurological disorder. In her affidavit, Ms. Sheffield characterized Muirhead’s behavior during *484 two interviews while he was in jail on charges in another case as “hyperactive,” “easily distracted” and “very suspicious of everyone.” She also stated that Muirhead had said he “had seen many doctors [psychiatrists] ... and that the doctors seemed to think he was crazy,” and he had “been told by the doctors to take thorazine” but refused. Appellants alleged in their Brady motion that Muirhead had undergone at least one psychiatric or psychological evaluation in connection with a 1978 juvenile commitment, which found he was suffering from a mental illness. In addition, they alleged that Youth Center staff who were conducting a study pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 5010(e) in October 1982 (as a result of Muirhead’s conviction for armed robbery) thought Muirhead was suffering from severe and acute mental illness, and that psychiatric or psychological reports would be generated as a result of his evaluation.
The motions were denied on December 17, 1982 after a hearing and an
in camera
inspection by the motions judge of Muirhead’s juvenile social files and § 5010(e) study. Appellants renewed the motion for a competency examination before the trial judge who, after
in camera
review of the records, reached the same conclusion as the motions judge, finding no indication in the documents to raise any questions about Muirhead’s competency.
2
Appellants contend on appeal that in view of their proffer, they met the “red flag” (of material impact on issue of competency) test of
United States v. Crosby,
The decision whether to order a psychiatric examination of a witness to determine his competency or to aid the jury’s assessment of credibility is a matter within the trial court’s discretion.
United States v. Benn,
Our
in camera
review of the records examined by the motions judge confirms that Muirhead had not been found to suffer from a mental illness. In exercising his discretion, the motions judge could reasonably rely on the expert views in the records rather than on counsel’s observations and a psychologist’s tentative views based on counsel’s description. Further, the description of Muirhead’s behavior in counsel’s affidavit is consistent with the
*485
conclusion in the records about his behavior and personality. Muirhead also gave sufficiently detailed and accurate descriptions of the alleged robbers to enable the police to identify Collins and Baldwin, indicating an ability to observe and report. The fact that he was the only eyewitness to the robbery is insufficient on the record before us to overcome the presumption against ordering a competency examination for a witness.
Hilton, supra,
In seeking production under
Brady v. Maryland, supra,
Accordingly, we hold the motions judge did not abuse his discretion in refusing to order a competency examination of the complainant and in refusing to produce the juvenile social file and 5010(e) study.
Ill
Appellants also claim that the trial judge erred in refusing to allow them to cross-examine Muirhead regarding his alleged psychiatric treatment because their proffer of Muirhead’s alleged admissions of his mental illness on two occasions provided an adequate predicate for cross-examination. They rely on this court’s opinions which focus on the significance of allowing broad cross-examination where the government’s case depends upon a single eyewitness, 4 and on federal circuit court opinions which hold that mental incapacity is relevant to credibility, especially when the government’s case may stand or fall on the jury’s belief of one witness. 5
*486 During Muirhead’s testimony at trial, defense counsel for Best informed the court, out of the jury’s presence, that she wished to cross-examine Muirhead regarding his past psychiatric treatment. Counsel for Baldwin indicated he also wanted to cross-examine Muirhead about his competency. Best’s counsel proffered a 1981 Pretrial Services Report in which Muirhead purportedly said he had received psychiatric treatment, a comment which the report stated was verified by his guardian’s daughter, although neither could provide any details. Baldwin’s counsel proffered a 1979 Pretrial Services Report which referred to a statement by Muirhead that he had received psychiatric treatment. Collins’ counsel advised that in two unrelated cases, one trial judge (Taylor, J.) had mentioned Muir-head’s psychiatric treatment in an October 1981 hearing, and another judge (Scott, J.) had commented on Muirhead’s “severe mental instability” when sentencing him for armed robbery in late 1982. In the latter case, Muirhead’s attorney had acknowledged Muirhead’s mental problems.
The trial judge found, after an
in camera
review of Muirhead’s juvenile social records and § 5010(e) study, that Muirhead had not previously undergone psychiatric treatment, only psychological evaluations. Based on all the evidence before him, including Muirhead’s testimony during a pretrial motion to suppress the lineup identification and the testimony of an attorney who described Muirhead’s conduct at the lineup as “inappropriate,”
6
the trial judge concluded, “I don’t see anything based upon ... his demeanor on the witness stand that suggests he has any psychological malady. He may be a very assertive, aggressive, street-wise person, but I don’t see where he has any psychological problems.” Accordingly, he refused to allow
voir dire
or cross-examination of Muirhead regarding his psychological problems. Appellants maintain that the trial judge overstepped his bounds by weighing the evidence, a task for the jury.
Washington v. United States,
The opportunity for a defendant to cross-examine a witness is a matter of right.
Davis v. Alaska,
We find no error by the trial judge in ruling that the necessary factual predicate had not been established to allow cross-examination about Muirhead’s past mental psychiatric treatment or competency. The
in camera
records indicate that while Muirhead did not cooperate fully with the persons conducting the § 5010(e) study (he refused to take certain tests and to provide some information about himself), the psychologist found, on the basis of a clinical interview, a social history and various other reports and the 1978 juvenile evaluation, that Muirhead was not psychotic or severely neurotic and understood social expectations. Further, the affidavit and testimonial observations of counsel and
*487
statements of other judges are consistent with the trial judge’s conclusions about Muirhead’s personality and lifestyle and not proof of the fact of mental illness.
Cf. Sherer v. United States,
However, under the “well reasoned suspicion” standard for cross-examination,
see United States v. Pugh,
We are satisfied, however, that any error in regard to cross-examination about the attributed statements was harmless beyond
*488
a reasonable doubt.
Chapman v. California,
IV
We now address appellants’ other claims of error.
A.
Appellants sought to impeach Muirhead’s statements on direct examination that he had never owned a gun by introducing evidence of his arrest for gun possession. Appellants rely on
Walder v. United States,
*489 B.
We find appellants Baldwin’s and Collins’ claims relating to the closing argument and the lineup and in-court identification to be meritless. They contend that during rebuttal closing argument the prosecutor improperly referred to Baldwin’s failure to testify in violation of his Fifth Amendment rights.
Griffin v. California,
Appellant Collins claims the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress the lineup and in-court identifications. He argues that the lineup was unnecessarily suggestive because he was the only one who came close to matching the description given by Muirhead to the police.
10
He relies on an attorney’s testimony at the hearing on his motion that at the lineup Muir-head was “carrying on,” “talking loudly to no one in particular,” and behaving in an “inappropriate” manner, and on Muirhead’s behavior prior to the lineup as indicating he was incompetent to make an identification. He cites
Foster v. California,
Applying the two-stage analysis of
Johnson v. United States,
Accordingly, the judgment is Affirmed.
Notes
.
. The government states that under the law of the case doctrine,
Kritsidimas v. Sheskin,
.
See United States
v.
Lindstrom,
.
Goldman v. United States,
. United States v. Partin,
. See infra Part IV-B.
.
See
McCormick on Evidence § 45, at 93 (E. Cleary ed. 2d. ed. 1972); 3A Wigmore on Evidence § 931-32 (Chad.Rev.1980).
Cf. Greene v. Wainwright,
. Baldwin also claims there was no support for the prosecutor’s statement in closing argument that Collins had said a crowd was present. The trial court admonished the prosecutor, and any error was harmless.
Kotteakos v. United States,
. Baldwin also claims there was no support for the prosecutor’s statement in closing argument that Collins had said a crowd was present. The trial court admonished the prosecutor, and any error was harmless. Kotteakos, supra note 8.
. Collins did not object at the time of the lineup.
. Collins’ contention that he was eligible to be sentenced under the Young Adult Offenders Act, 18 U.S.C. § 4216 (1982), is without merit since that Act is unavailable to a defendant who has been convicted solely of offenses under the District of Columbia Code.
United States
v.
McDonald,
