Should forensic patients be informed of evaluators' opinions prior to trial?
There are several articles in the literature that discuss the problems which occur when persons who have been evaluated by forensic clinicians hear the results of those evaluations for the first time in court. The authors agree that the scenarios presented are problematic but suggest that in many cases the problems can be avoided by sharing the information with the person prior to presenting it in court. They present several case examples to illustrate their point.
Miller
R D
RD
Forensic Center, Mendota Mental Health Institute, Madison, Wisconsin.
Germain
E J
EJ
D003134:Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders; D005104:Expert Testimony; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008306:Malingering / Q000175:diagnosis; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D014342:Truth Disclosure; D014481:United States