title: Do forensic practitioners distinguish between testifying and consulting experts? A pilot study.
abstract: Forensic mental health professionals (n=44) reviewed a series of statements that an attorney might make to a consulting or testifying expert. Each statement was rated for its degree of appropriateness to either the consulting or the testifying role. In light of increasing attention paid to this topic in the forensic practice literature, as well as long-standing distinctions recognized by the legal profession, it was originally hypothesized that participants would differentiate clearly between these roles; however, results of this pilot study indicate that forensic practitioners do not possess a consistent sense of which activities rest most comfortably within testimonial as opposed to consulting duties.
authors.affiliation: Program in Psychiatry and the Law, Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, United States. gutheiltg@cs.com
authors.forename: Thomas Gordon
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Gutheil
authors.forename: Michael Lamport
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Commons
authors.forename: Eric Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Drogin
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hauser
authors.forename: Patrice Marie
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Andrew Michael
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Richardson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003253:Consultants; D005104:Expert Testimony; D005260:Female; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D024382:Professional Role; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States