• Pertinent background information of the defendant.
• Pertinent psychiatric, medical and substance abuse history.
• Thorough Mental Status Exam and current level of functioning.
• Evaluation of the defendant’s ability to understand the proceedings against him.
• Statements of the defendant that demonstrate the extent of his understanding of relevant issues are provided in quotations. This part of the report would provide answers as to whether the defendant has the ability to: understand his present charges, understand his overall legal situation, understand the roles of courtroom personnel, distinguish between various pleas, and understand the range of possible verdicts.
• Assessment of the defendant’s ability to assist in his defense. This part of the evaluation should reflect on defendant’s ability to: recount his behavior and whereabouts at the time of the alleged offense, effectively interact with his attorney, and behave in acceptable manner in the court room.
• Whether or not, and to what extent the defendant’s mental disorder (if any) has affected his competency to stand trial. The absence of mental disorder usually precludes further evaluation.

In cases when the defendant is assessed by the evaluator as incompetent to stand trial the issues of malingering (feigning the signs and symptoms of mental disorder) and potential for restoration to competency will be discussed.

Mental State at the Time of the Offense (Insanity and Diminished Capacity)

Insanity defense or other mental state at the time of the alleged offense evaluations can be requested by the defense, the prosecution or the courts. These evaluations will not be offered for defendants who have presently been found to be incompetent to stand trial. The party making the referral is responsible for the provision of the necessary collateral information for the preparation of the report. Evaluation reports are to address the following areas:

• List of reference materials and of interviews utilized in the preparation of the report
• Case law or statutory requirements to meet the criteria for an insanity defense in a given jurisdiction
• Detailed background information of the defendant
• Past psychiatric history
• Medical history
• Substance abuse history
• Description of the alleged offense in question by the defendant and by the collateral sources.
• Review of collateral information reconstructing the mental state of the defendant at the time of the alleged offense, and the time proximate to the alleged offense. These usually include police reports, witness accounts, notes and discharge summaries from recent hospitalizations, accounts of communications of the defendant with others, etc.
• Diagnostic impressions (the absence of mental disorder usually precludes further evaluation)
• Detailed account as to how the given diagnosis was reached
• Description of the correlation between the defendants behavior at the time of the alleged offense with the symptoms of his/her mental illness (in the case of multiple legal charges, each offense would be addressed separately)
• Correlation of the defendant’s mental state and behavior with statutory requirements for the insanity defense in a given jurisdiction
• Issue of malingering (the reasons as to why the evaluator does or does not believe that the defendant is not fabricating the symptoms of mental illness as it relates to the offense in question)

Sexual Offenses

Persons accused of sexual offenses are often court ordered for psychological evaluations. These evaluations must be conducted by a psychologist who is certified by the Tennessee Sexual Offender Treatment Board. We will conduct these evaluations on persons of all ages in accordance with state standards.