Retrospective Assessment of Mental States in Litigation : Predicting the Past

"Why did the defendant do it?"

Mental health professionals are asked to help courts answer this question. To serve justice, the law calls for evidence of the mental state at the time a crime is committed, of suicide intent in civil litigation, and of mental capacity in contract litigation. The law asks psychiatrists and psychologists to retrospectively determine mental states-a daunting task made even more difficult by the passage of time, the uncertain credibility of witnesses, the paucity of collateral sources of information, and often the death of the person in question.

This is the first book dedicated entirely to the retrospective assessment of mental states. This fascinating book explores the role of the psychiatrist and psychologist, as an expert witness in litigation, in rendering a retrospective judgment of an individual's mental state. Distinguished contributors apply their expertise in psychiatry, psychology, and the law to address the problems of retrospective assessment. With the goal of developing guidelines for more accurate retrospective assessment of mental states, they present topics such as

- Guidelines for conducting retrospective assessments in children and adults
- Guidelines for the retrospective assessment without benefit of direct examination
- Assessments of suicide cases in both civil and criminal litigation
- Psychological testing and interviewing techniques that may assist in retrospective assessment
- Methods and analysis to help clinicians and attorneys critically evaluate the search for "truth" about the past.

This remarkable book will prove indispensable for helping clinicians, lawyers, and judges better understand the complex and difficult process of retrospective reconstruction of mental states.

Robert I. Simon, M.D., is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Program in Psychiatry and Law at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C.

Daniel W. Shuman, J.D., is a Professor of Law at the Dedman School of Law, Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.