Abstract
Psychiatrists conducting forensic evaluations of defendants facing a potential death penalty must understand the legal and ethical parameters governing these assessments in addition to the important clinical issues. Important areas to review with each defendant include the role of the evaluator, the party requesting the evaluation, circumstances in which the evaluation is not confidential, the nature, scope, and purpose of the evaluation, and the parties to whom the results of the evaluation are to be forwarded. In those circumstances in which the defense attorney has not retained the psychiatrist, the defendant's attorney must be aware that an evaluation has been ordered by the court or requested by the prosecution. The psychiatrist also must be prepared for passionate challenges to their findings from the defense or prosecution and in some instances for vigorous attacks on their own personal ethics. To weather such storms, the mental health evaluator must base their opinion on objective evidence rather than letting any personal bias guide their assessment.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 791-804 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Psychiatric Clinics of North America |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 2006 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
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Psychiatry and the Death Penalty. / Scott, Charles L.
In: Psychiatric Clinics of North America, Vol. 29, No. 3, 09.2006, p. 791-804.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Psychiatry and the Death Penalty
AU - Scott, Charles L
PY - 2006/9
Y1 - 2006/9
N2 - Psychiatrists conducting forensic evaluations of defendants facing a potential death penalty must understand the legal and ethical parameters governing these assessments in addition to the important clinical issues. Important areas to review with each defendant include the role of the evaluator, the party requesting the evaluation, circumstances in which the evaluation is not confidential, the nature, scope, and purpose of the evaluation, and the parties to whom the results of the evaluation are to be forwarded. In those circumstances in which the defense attorney has not retained the psychiatrist, the defendant's attorney must be aware that an evaluation has been ordered by the court or requested by the prosecution. The psychiatrist also must be prepared for passionate challenges to their findings from the defense or prosecution and in some instances for vigorous attacks on their own personal ethics. To weather such storms, the mental health evaluator must base their opinion on objective evidence rather than letting any personal bias guide their assessment.
AB - Psychiatrists conducting forensic evaluations of defendants facing a potential death penalty must understand the legal and ethical parameters governing these assessments in addition to the important clinical issues. Important areas to review with each defendant include the role of the evaluator, the party requesting the evaluation, circumstances in which the evaluation is not confidential, the nature, scope, and purpose of the evaluation, and the parties to whom the results of the evaluation are to be forwarded. In those circumstances in which the defense attorney has not retained the psychiatrist, the defendant's attorney must be aware that an evaluation has been ordered by the court or requested by the prosecution. The psychiatrist also must be prepared for passionate challenges to their findings from the defense or prosecution and in some instances for vigorous attacks on their own personal ethics. To weather such storms, the mental health evaluator must base their opinion on objective evidence rather than letting any personal bias guide their assessment.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33746835762&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.psc.2006.04.002
DO - 10.1016/j.psc.2006.04.002
M3 - Article
C2 - 16904512
AN - SCOPUS:33746835762
VL - 29
SP - 791
EP - 804
JO - Psychiatric Clinics of North America
JF - Psychiatric Clinics of North America
SN - 0193-953X
IS - 3
ER -