</s>Weekly Summary #43 Page 6 psychologist Eric Marcus and psychiatrist Seymour Pollack -- would create endless political controversy, reported the newspaper. TUESDAY, MARCH 25 -- The Sirhan trial was continued until Wednesday- ***** day as the prosecution asked for time in which to study yesterday's testi- mony by Dr. Bernard L. Diamond. According to a Los Angeles newspaper (Herald-xaminer), the pros- ecution, headed by Chief Dep. Dist. Attty. Lynn D. Compton, and including Dep. Dist ., Atttys. John Howard and David N. Fitts, were not prepared to attack Dr. Diamond's story today. They won the 24-hour review from Superior Judge Herbert V. Walker in order to study the testimony before beginning cross-examination. Added the newspaper: . Part of the reason for this delay was the mechanics of the Sirhan trial. Unlike the other psychiatrists and psychologists in the case, Dr. Diamond prepared no written report. . The official record of Dr.Diamond's testimony was not available to the prosecution until 10 p.m. Monday from the office court reporter." ***** more -- 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document details the trial of Sirhan B. Sirhan for the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy on June 5, 1968, focusing on psychiatric testimony, legal arguments over premeditation and diminished capacity, and media coverage. Prosecution emphasized Sirhan’s deliberate actions and intent to kill, while defense argued his mental state prevented meaningful premeditation. Psychiatrists testified conflictingly: Dr. Bernard L. Diamond claimed Sirhan was in a dissociative trance, whereas Dr. Seymour Pollack asserted his actions were politically motivated. Legal proceedings involved extensive cross-examinations of experts, debates over psychiatric terminology, and disputes about the reliability of psychological assessments. Trial costs exceeded $850,000 by April 1969, with projections reaching $1 million. Media reports highlighted Arab reactions, including the Palestine Liberation Organization’s portrayal of Sirhan as a hero, while legal arguments centered on California’s diminished capacity laws and jury instructions for murder charges.  

Key People  
- Sirhan B. Sirhan (defendant)  
- Dr. Bernard L. Diamond (defense psychiatrist)  
- Dr. Seymour Pollack (prosecution psychiatrist)  
- Grant B. Cooper (defense attorney)  
- David N. Pitts (prosecution attorney)  
- Judge Herbert V. Walker (presiding judge)  
- Lynn D. Compton (chief deputy district attorney)  
- Saldallah Sirhan (brother of defendant, hospitalized after an accident)  
- Dr. Leonard B. Olinger (defense psychologist)  

Key Locations  
- Los Angeles County Superior Court (site of trial)  
- Ambassador Hotel (location of assassination)  
- California Adult Authority facility in Vacaville, Sacramento (potential incarceration site)  
- Hall of Justice (Los Angeles) (legal proceedings and administrative offices)  
- Beirut, Lebanon (center of Arab media coverage)  

Key Events  
- March 25–28: Testimony by Dr. Diamond on Sirhan’s dissociative state; prosecution cross-examined defense experts.  
- April 1–2: Dr. Pollack testified about Sirhan’s mental illness and political motivations; legal debate over psychiatric terminology.  
- April 3–4, 1969: Testimony by Dr. Pollack and Dr. Olinger on Sirhan’s capacity for premeditation.  
- Trial costs exceeded $850,000 by April 1969, with projections of reaching $1 million.  
- Plea negotiations abandoned after judicial intervention; prosecution confirmed no death penalty sought.  
- Media coverage included Arab reactions, such as the Palestine Liberation Organization’s depiction of Sirhan as a Palestinian hero.  
- Jury deliberations on whether Sirhan’s actions constituted first-degree or second-degree murder.  

Key Organizations  
- Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office (oversaw trial and psychiatric reports)  
- California Adult Authority (discussed potential incarceration at Vacaville facility)  
- California Department of Corrections (incarceration considerations)  
- Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) (trial-related costs)  
- Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (distributed media portraying Sirhan as a hero)  
- University of California, Berkeley (Dr. Diamond’s affiliation)  
- USC Psychology Department (Dr. Georgene Seward’s testimony)

RFK Declassified Files

56-la-156-u_sec_001_ser_1--part_4_of_7.pdf

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