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

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

This is the definitive reference and text for both mental health and legal professionals. The authors offer a uniquely comprehensive discussion of the legal and clinical contexts of forensic assessment, along with best-practice guidelines for participating effectively and ethically in a wide range of criminal and civil proceedings. Presented are findings, instruments, and procedures related to criminal and civil competencies, civil commitment, sentencing, personal injury claims, antidiscrimination laws, child custody, juvenile justice, and more.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, School, Textbooks

930 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.