1. +
Forensic Psychology
Intersection of psychology and the legal process.
2. +
History of Forensic Psychology
1911 – 1st case where psychological data was allowed
1913 – determine if person was “feebleminded”
1916 – Louis Terman – 1st American to use mental tests
1921 – 1st time an American Psychologist qualified as an expert
1940 – set precedent for psychologist testifying as expert
witness on competence and criminal responsibility
3. +
Who employs Forensic
Psychologists?
Federal, state and local governments
Prisons, police departments, correction facilities, military
Treatment facilities
Rehab centers, counseling centers, mental hospitals
Courts and attorneys
Private practices
Universities
4. +
Difference between Forensic and
Therapeutic Evaluation
6. +
Jury Selection
help select jurors
Generating a juror profile
Creating questionnaires
Demographic
Case specific
focus groups,
shadow juries
7. +
Criminal Profiling
a psychological profile of an offender based on the state of
the crime scene
behavioral and personality characteristic of suspect
Similarity and differences among victims
How they will react in different situations can be determined
Based on behaviors can work backwards to determine
personality
8. +
If the person is organized
plans ahead
picks out the victims ahead of time
Brings tools
meticulous with details
THEN…
tend to be high in the birth order of their family, usually an oldest
child
very intelligent
usually have their lives together
a series of stressful situations caused them to act out
Most of them have a live-in partner, are socially adept, and will
follow the coverage of their crimes in the media very carefully.
9. +
If disorganized
Spontaneous
depersonalize the victim, to make the crime less real
remain detached throughout the course of the crime
very little conversation, if any, between the offender and victim
crime scene - random and sloppy
THEN…
average or slightly below-average intelligence
They are younger children, live alone, and are not as socially
mature as an organized offender
Often live or work near the scene of the crime
have a poor work history.
10. +
If a mixture of organized and
disorganized
harder to use criminal profiling for, but still possible.
For example, the offender may have provided his own tools,
but picked a victim randomly.
11. +
Profiling Steps
Input - synopsis of crime, description of crime scene, weather, political and
social environment, background info on victim (domestic setting,
employment, reputation, habits, fears, physical condition, personality,
criminal history, family relationships, hobbies and social conduct), autopsy
report, photos, sketches – just facts no opinion
Decision – organizing and arranging into meaningful patterns
Crime Assessment - reconstruction of the sequence of events and the
behavior of both the offender and the victim – classification of the crime,
strategies used by victim, sequence of crime, staging of crime, motivation of
crime and crime scene dynamics
Criminal Profile – type of person who committed the crime and that person’s
behavioral organization with relation to the crime
Investigation – written report is provided to requesting agency
Apprehension – once apprehended and admits guilt – conduct a detailed
interview to check the total profiling process for validity
12. +
Family Court
Child custody evaluations
Visitation assessments
Mediation of parental conflicts about children
Child abuse evaluations
Adoption readiness evaluations
Evaluations to assess termination of parental rights
13. +
Civil Court
Personal injury evaluations
Assessment of emotional factors in sexual harassment and
discrimination
Worker’s compensation evaluations
14. +
Criminal Court
Juveniles
Presentencing evaluations
Probation evaluations
Evaluating the credibility of a child witness
Assessment of sex offenders
Competence and diminished capacity evaluations
15. +
Insanity v. Competence
Insanity –the mental state at the time the offense occurred
Competence – the mental abilities at the time of the
proceeding
16. +
Insanity
An insanity defense is based on the theory that most people can
choose to follow the law; but a few select persons cannot be held
accountable because of mental disease or disability deprives
them of the ability to make a rational/voluntary choice
To prove insanity – must prove by pre-ponderance of the
evidence of the time of the crime because of a mental disorder,
he lacked substantial capacity either to appreciate the
criminality of his conduct or to conform his conduct to the
requirements of the law
Insanity – mental illness of such a severe nature that a person
Can’t distinguish fantasy from reality
Can’t conduct her/his affairs due to psychosis or
Is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behavior
17. +
Famous Insanity Cases
John Hinckley
Lorena Bobbitt
18. +
Competency
The mental state of the defendant at the time of trial
Psychologists make recommendations to court
If incompetent - treatment recommendations (psychiatric
treatment) to restore competency
Notas do Editor
1911 – several psychologists testified in a Belgium court on behalf of a man accused of raping and murdering a little girl 1913 – US correctional setting
Forensic psychologist not an advocate for client and nothing is confidential. Wants and needs all information while it is not in the client’s best interest.
Consulting with lawyers – help witnesses present testimony better, help attorneys present cases to jury and help with opening and closing statements Expert Witness – commitment to mental hospital, child custody issues, offender treatment programs
Runaway jury clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVCfABHnBHw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfqUZ5kBjsE
Preponderance of the evidence - balance of probabilities - more probable than not