Psychological Evaluations for the Courts: A Handbook for Mental Health Professionals and Lawyers

by Gary B. Melton, John Petrila, Norman G. Poythress

Considered the definitive resource and text on forensic psychiatry and psychology since the publication of the first edition, Psychological Evaluations for the Courts, Second Edition , continues to be the most comprehensive discussion of legal, research, and clinical issues for both mental health and legal professionals. Fully revised and updated, the volume covers a broad range of topics in forensic mental health, including insanity, child abuse, sentencing, personal injury claims, and civil commitment. Less traditional subjects such as federal antidiscrimination and entitlement laws, competency to testify, workers' compensation, and a new section on the clinical evaluation of witness credibility have also been added. Throughout, the authors summarize and analyze legal issues, offer suggestions for evaluation procedures, and review appropriate research on both clinical opinions and the legal process.

New to the Second Edition

Completely updated to reflect current research and practice, the volume contains four entirely new chapters and has been revised throughout to include analyses of new case law and clinical techniques; important research on competency and dangerousness from the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Mental Health and Law; and new ethical rules developed by the American Psychological Assocation and the American Psychiatric Association. Also new to this edition are exercises and case studies for students in each chapter (see below).

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, School, Textbooks

794 pages, Hardcover

First published March 2, 1987

Reviews

[Joshua Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a book required for one of my elective classes. It provided me with an excellent base for understanding the verbiage used in the forensic field. Admittedly the law jargon could make some things hard to follow, however, I enjoyed reading the book and learning about cases that contributed to the field.

[Mal · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as textbooks go, it's very good.

[Kimtastic · Rating 5 out of 5]

forensic psych bible, reading the new one now....

[Ellis Amdur · Rating 3 out of 5]

Considered the gold-standard resource for forensic psychological concerns – both on the part of mental health professionals and lawyers. I am in agreement with their statement that judges and juries are LEAST swayed by psychometric testing, and MOST by phenomenological information (clinical interviews, etc. – information that makes the subject a real person). My greatest concern is that, for both legal reasons and the authors’ perspective on ethics, they very strongly state that the evaluator should express no opinions as to risk. It is their opinion that the evaluator has too much power to sway a court, with little to no track-record of better prediction than lay-people. It is my view, however, that the evaluator must express opinions, BUT must be able to both explain and support any interpretations – that it is the task of the lawyer to demand that the evaluator both make sense and explain what the information he or she acquired means to him or her…and thus, possibly to the court.

[Nikeforever22 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nexus of psychology and the law. Melton et al., provides the reader with landmark case law, relevant empirically validated studies, and how to apply these concepts in forensic practice. The competency, malingering, and culpability chapters are very comprehensive. The violence risk assessment is adequate, but the reader should refer to Rice, Quincy, Harris, and McCormier's work for violence risk assessment and Doren's work for sexual violence risk.