The Psychiatrist as Expert Witness [Paperback]

Thomas G. Gutheil (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 1998 | ISBN-10: 0880487631 | ISBN-13: 978-0880487634 | Edition: 1

If you are like many of your colleagues, you are intrigued by the practice of forensic psychiatry and find the intellectual challenge of bridging the gap between psychiatry and law stimulating. You may even wish to offer your services as an expert witness in legal proceedings. However, your enthusiasm is tempered by the all too real nightmare of a lawyer puncturing your testimony with pointed questions, simultaneously destroying your professional reputation. Furthermore, you face the prospect of establishing your practice in forensic psychiatry through a grueling process of trial and error, a procedure that may also tarnish your reputation. In order to leave the familiar surroundings of your clinical practice to enter this new environment, you need a comprehensive, Ahow-toA manual that can guide you through the legal process and your role as expert witness while highlighting the pitfalls strewn in your path. The Psychiatrist as Expert Witness provides practical, hands-on instruction for your role as an expert witness. A companion volume to The Psychiatrist in Court: A Survival Guide, this book encapsulates, into a single user-friendly volume, the wisdom and experience of one of the worldAs leading forensic psychiatrists, Dr. Thomas Gutheil. Using wit and an informal tone, Dr. Gutheil describes the ethical, clinical, and functional role of the expert witness. He guides you through the details of case evaluation, discovery and depositions, and trials so that you can provide truthful, ethical, and effective testimony and avoid potential hazards and pitfalls. Sharing dozens of invaluable hints and practical advice on numerous subjects such as writing forensic reports, withstanding cross-examination, maintaining objectivity, marketing your services ethically, and concluding fee agreements, Dr. Gutheil helps smooth your way into this exciting field. Armed with this knowledge and guidance, you will be fully prepared to embark on your career as an expert witness. Whether you are a seasoned professional or just a beginner, The Psychiatrist as Expert Witness is a reference that you cannot be without.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...a thorough how-to manual for the psychiatrist who has testified and found it not so bad after all... -- Focus, Harvard Medical School

...a thorough how-to manual for the psychiatrist who has testified and found it not so bad after all, and for all who might consider serving as expert witnesses voluntarily -- Focus, Harvard Medical School

...a work that provides excellent advice and guidance to both the 'beginning' and seasoned expert... A 'must read' -- James T. Hilliard, Esq., General Counsel, Massachusetts Psychiatric Society, Lecturer on Law, Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge, Massachusetts

...an excellent reference for either the novice or seasoned practitioner...as well as hazards and pitfalls inherent to this arena -- American Journal of Psychiatry

Dr. Gutheil has created a work that provides excellent advice and guidance to both the 'beginning' and seasoned expert... A 'must read' for all clinicians interested in this area of practice -- James T. Hilliard, Esq., General Counsel, Massachusetts Psychiatric Society, Lecturer on Law, Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge, Massachusetts

The text is an excellent reference for either the novice or seasoned practitioner encountering the ethical, clinical, and practical issues of the expert witness, as well as hazards and pitfalls inherent to this arena -- American Journal of Psychiatry

This is a user-friendly, practical book about the unique aspects of work as an expert witness in psychiatry -- Doody's Health Sciences Book Review Journal

About the Author

Thomas G. Gutheil, M.D., is Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Co-Director of the Program in Psychiatry and the Law at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center. His textbook, Clinical Handbook of Psychiatry and the Law, co-authored with Paul S. Appelbaum, M.D., received the Manfred S. Guttmacher award as the outstanding contribution to the forensic psychiatry literature. He is also the recipient of Le Prix Pinel awarded by the International Academy of Law and Mental Health for outstanding contributions to teaching and research in the forensic realm. He was 1995 ÂTeacher of the Year, elected at the United States Psychiatric Congress. He received the Seymour Pollock Award from the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law for outstanding contributions to the teaching of forensic psychiatry.

Product Details

• Paperback: 150 pages
• Publisher: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.; 1 edition (January 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0880487631
• ISBN-13: 978-0880487634
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,974,751 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Thomas G. Gutheil, M.D.


Dr. Gutheil is Professor of Psychiatry and co-founder of the Program in Psychiatry and the Law, Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel-Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School. An internationally known forensic psychiatrist, teacher, consultant and author of some 250 publications, he was the year 2000 president of the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law and is President-elect of the International Academy of Law and Mental Health. Dr. Gutheil has served as a consulting or expert witness in more than forty states. Recipient of every major award in the forensic field and multiple teaching and writing awards, he is listed under forensic psychiatry in the 1994 and 2005-6 editions of "Best Doctors in America." Dr. Gutheil lives and works in the Boston area.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic text, newly updated, January 21, 2009

By 

Harold J. Bursztajn (Cambridge, Massachusetts USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Psychiatrist As Expert Witness, Second Edition (Paperback)

A classic work which explores the nuances of translating clinical acumen into testifying as a court qualified expert. Now updated and deepened.

Highly recommended reading for any clinician whose dedication to community service includes courtroom testimony in areas of forensic expertise.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic "Must-Have" for Expert Witnesses, January 20, 2009

By 

Kenneth S. Pope - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Psychiatrist As Expert Witness, Second Edition (Paperback)

Don't miss this gem! The 1998 edition became a standard text in courses on forensic psychiatry & psychology, expert testimony, etc., and this new 2009 second edition is even better. Providing careful attention to ethical, professional, legal, and practical issues, it provides wise and thoughtful guidance by one of the giants in the field. It also provides forms (informed consent for forensic assessment; financial agreement with an attorney; etc.) that can be adapted to specific areas of forensic practice.

14 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars An excellent primer for the unethical forensic psychiatrist, November 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Psychiatrist as Expert Witness (Paperback)

This book is gimmicky; yet it's lacks any serious emphasis on substance. As a student of the interaction between psychiatry and the law, I often times find myself struck by the authors focus on the use of deceptive means to testifying.

Rather than treating the role and function of the expert psychiatric witness in a serious and somber manner, this book merely focuses on, and advocates the use of, annedoctal "tricks of the trade."

That such is the case should be particular disconcerting to the ethical psychiatrist, whose desire is not to advance a particular agenda at any cost, but whose true desire is to inform the court/jury via impartial and scientifically valid testimony.