Forensic Briefs

Dr. Allison Redlich examines guilty pleas in the U.S. legal system, exploring factors behind their prevalence. She distinguishes between guilty, no contest, and Alford pleas, and discusses the theory and practice of ensuring pleas are knowing, intelligent, and voluntary.

Dr. Hunter defines traumatic brain injury (TBI) and provides key questions for assessing past head injury severity. She discusses factors affecting prognosis and her meta-analysis, highlighting challenges in measuring head injury prevalence due to varied research methods and definitions.

Professor Aliza Kaplan explores clemency's history, process, and its role in commuting or pardoning sentences. She highlights factors considered by decision-makers, including mental health components, addressing later stages of criminal cases less familiar to forensic professionals and attorneys.

In this discussion with Dr. Natalie Anumba, she discusses how forensic clinicians can address personal identities in interviews, including when and how to inquire, relevancy for reports, and key considerations for evaluators before approaching these topics.

Dr. Neal examines bias, its sources, and the impact of “fast” and “slow” thinking on cognition. She reviews bias in forensic experts, offers reduction strategies, and discusses psychological testing in court, providing guidance on distinguishing reliable methods from “junk” in forensic contexts.

Dr. Sokolski explores methamphetamine intoxication, its effects, withdrawal symptoms, and psychosis, debunking myths about “new” meth. She examines addiction, free will, and settled insanity, discusses meth’s link to fentanyl, and advocates for state-level treatment. She highlights contingency management and predictors of long-term psychosis among methamphetamine users.

Drs. Griffiths and Jalava explain psychopathy, its assessment, and common misconceptions, including flawed research. They discuss challenges of working in systems requiring psychopathy assessments and address the ethical difficulties involved in these evaluations.

Devon LaBat examines jurors' understanding of forensic science, highlighting areas of confusion and misleading expert language. She discusses the Department of Justice Uniform Guidelines for Language in Reports, their purpose, and key recommendations for clarity in forensic communication.

Dr. Daniel Murrie explains adversarial allegiance in forensic evaluations, reviewing studies and measures showing these effects. He addresses field reliability's link to adversarial allegiance and discusses strategies forensic clinicians can use to mitigate bias.

Darin Challacombe discusses cults and terror groups, defining key terms and distinguishing them from other organizations. He explains recruitment tactics, factors influencing vulnerability, and applies these frameworks to groups like sovereign citizens to evaluate if they qualify as cults.