Forensic Psychology is Forensic Science.
There has been a growing awareness, some would say crisis, concerning the mediocre quality of expert forensic testimony submitted to the courts in the United States. This appears to be a function of weak methods, and a low threshold for judicial gatekeeping, despite clear mandates in Rule 702 and Daubert and progeny on the foundations […]
Professional Ethics,”partisan allegiance,” and expert witness liability
Daniel Murrie and his colleagues have produced a series of recent studies on “partisan allegiance” in forensic expert witness work (see citations below). They define partisan allegiance as the tendency for experts to bias their testimony in favor of the side that calls them. They demonstrate this through ingenious experiments with PCL-R ratings. The response […]
Thriving as a forensic psychologist
A nice article by William Foote PhD in APA’s Good Practice (Winter 2014) is worth a look for students who think they might be interested in forensic psychology. Contrasting clinical and forensic psychology, he writes, “But the field is not for everyone…Forensic psychology is also much more confrontational. You’re often in an adversarial position, with […]
Competency Restoration in the State of Hawaii: An object lesson
Karen Franklin’s blog is the premier site for ground-breaking issues in forensic psychology. Always worthwhile and readable, witty and biting, sometimes breathtaking and bold. Her March 9, 2014, post addresses the recent scandal at Napa State Hospital in California, which serves the Northern California incompetent defendant and NGRI population, similar to our Hawaii State Hospital. […]