Sanity at the Time of Offense/Mental State at Time of Offense

When a criminal defendant's sanity at the time he or she committed an offense is in question, an evaluation of his or her mental state at the time of offense (MSO) may be requested by the court, prosecutor or defense to ascertain criminal responsibility. MSO evaluations are one of the more difficult assessments in forensic work and as such, my MSO evaluations include third-party information; defendant's own report of MSO (including relevant personal history); use of psychological testing, tools and clinical techniques:

• Review of records regarding the specific offense (e.g., police records, witness statements)
• Review of background records and history (e.g., academic, hospital/psychiatric treatment)
• Background information: Developmental/social, psychiatric, medical, and substance abuse history)
  
• Clinical interview(s) of defendant
• Defendant's own report of MSO; review of collateral information (e.g., family, police, psychiatric records) leading up to, and at the time of said offense
  
• Psychological testing
  
• Assessment of Malingering
• Assessment of the defendants ability to understand the legal, criminal, process; ability to assist in their own defense
• Conclusions/opinions regarding mental state at time of offense