Forensic Psychiatry: A Practical Guide for Lawyers and Psychiatrists

Abstract

Litigation in the United States has been on the rise during the past two decades. It has become more complicated and sophisticated, and many experts have been called on to express opinions about legal issues. The psychiatrist is one of those important experts. Despite the growing need for and employment of psychiatrists in the court scene, little has been written about how to do the job and how to select the right expert. Many physicians in general and psychiatrists in particular are called on and are improperly prepared for the task of testifying as an expert. Fear of cross-examination, reaction of the judge to the expert, and unawareness of the legal issues about the opinion to be formulated and expressed have troubled psychiatrist and attorney also at times. Robert Sadoff, MD, has brought these and many other issues into focus in his book<i>Forensic Psychiatry</i>. In clear language he addresses