Addressing the perfect phantom on the witness stand.
When expert witnesses are cross-examined, a common gambit of opposing counsel is to create a phantom for comparison purposes. The constructed phantom is typically portrayed as an individual who has gone through similar, difficult life circumstances without the impairments or problematic behavioral sequelae of the plaintiff or defendant in the trial. Abuse histories, assaults, and traumatic experiences all are posited to have little effect on this phantom other, an invulnerability that leads us to call this construct the Perfect Phantom. In this article, the nature of the Perfect Phantom cross-examination is described, along with strategies for coping with these questions.
Brodsky
Stanley L
SL
Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0348, USA. sbrodsky@bama.ua.edu
Heller
Phil
P
D005104:Expert Testimony / Q000379:methods*; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology*