Forensic Reports and Testimony A Guide to Effective Communication for Psychologists and Psychiatrists

Forensic Reports & Testimony: A Guide to Effective Communication for Psychologists and Psychiatrists provides a roadmap for the mental health professional who wants to provide consistently accurate, defensible, and useful reports and testimony to the legal system. Authors Randy K. Otto, Richart L. DeMier, and Marcus Boccaccini, recognized experts in the field, cover all aspects of the process, including preparing affidavits and reports, preparing for depositions, and testifying. 

Every written or spoken communication for the courts must be clear and precise, and distinguish between facts, inferences, and opinions. This book uniquely:

•Shows the critical differences between forensic psychological reports and the clinical reports psychologists and psychiatrists are accustomed to writing

•Includes and explains important maxims of forensic report writing, including separating facts from inferences, focusing on offering expert opinions, explaining why you think what you think, and connecting the dots between facts and conclusions

•Provides numerous examples of experts’ testimony, affidavits, reports-with commentary and critiques

Expert forensic work deserves to be presented in a clear, precise, and understandable way so that it is useful to attorneys, judges, and juries.  Forensic Reports & Testimony provides the guidelines and models forensic psychologists and forensic psychiatrists need to make that happen.

RANDY K. OTTO, PHD, ABPP, Associate Professor, Department of Mental Health Law & Policy at the University of South is board certified in forensic psychology and clinical psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. He has served as President of the American Board of Professional Psychology, the American Psychology-Law Society, the American Board of Forensic Psychology, and the American Academy of Forensic Psychology.

RICHART L. DEMIER, PHD, ABPP, is board certified in forensic psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. He is retired from the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners, where he conducted forensic evaluations and served as Director of Clinical Training for the facility’s internship and postdoctoral fellowship programs. He is currently the Director of Clinical Training at the School of Professional Psychology at Forest Institute, in Springfield, Missouri.

MARCUS T. BOCCACCINI, PHD, Professor, Department of Psychology and Philosophy at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas has published more than 75 articles relating to the intersection of psychology and the legal system. His research focuses on agreement among expert witnesses and field research in forensic psychology.

Foreword Thomas Grisso, ph.d. vii

Preface xi

About the authors xv

Chapter 1 Introduction 1

Chapter 2 Functions of Forensic Reports 9

Chapter 3 Content of Forensic Reports 17

Chapter 4 Principles of Forensic Reports 34

Chapter 5 Structure of Forensic Reports 54

Chapter 6 Interrogatories, Affidavits, Declarations, Demonstrative Exhibits, and Demonstrative Aids 91

Chapter 7 Conceptual Issues Regarding Testimony 97

Chapter 8 Testifying at Depositions 118

Chapter 9 Testifying in Admissibility Hearings 129

Chapter 10 Pretrial Preparation 137

Chapter 11 Direct Examination 151

Chapter 12 Cross-Examination 171

Appendix A Sample Reports 223

Appendix B Sample Affidavits and Declaration 315

References 341

Author index 355

Subject index 361

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