Posts in Forensic Psychology
Statistics Explained: Mean and Standard Deviation (And Why Experts Should Not Ignore Them)

Psychological experts who do not use reliable tests built around solid scientific principles run the risk of highly unreliable opinions. This is where an understanding of means and standard deviations become extremely important.

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Statistics Explained: Sensitivity vs. Specificity (with Positive Predictive Power thrown in)

What is the difference between sensitivity and specificity, and what are you missing if you ignore positive predictive power? The answers to these questions can help bolster an expert’s opinions in the eyes of the judge or jury.

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Contractual Capacity: What It Takes To Sign A Valid Contract

A 90-year-old woman with moderate dementia signs a contract to buy a new car. A man with Schizophrenia wants to buy his first house. A woman with severe mania signs divorce documents.

Are any of these contracts legal in Colorado? Or, would an attorney have a strong case to argue that any of these individuals did not have the capacity to sign a valid contract?

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Dr. Death, This Side of the Twilight Zone: Estelle v. Smith (1981)

Dr. Grigson was hired to conduct a pretrial competency evaluation in 1973. The case involved Ernest Smith, who was arrested for participating in an armed robbery where an accomplice killed a grocery store clerk. Dr. Grigson reported that Mr. Smith was competent to stand trial and he labeled Mr. Smith a "severe sociopath."

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