FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.

Are you a practicing clinician?
    I have been in full time clinical practice for 44 years. The first eight of which were in traditional mental health settings. The last 36 have been in physical medicine and rehabilitation settings where my practice is devoted to the evaluation or treatment of individuals who have been traumatically or catastrophically injured, psychologically or physically, and to adults and children suffering from neurological disease, chronic illness or chronic, nonfatal pain.

What is your expert witness experience?
    Thirty years ago I was contacted by several criminal defense attorneys who requested comprehensive psychological evaluations be conducted on their clients to assist the trier of fact to better understand the defendant and to facilitate the trier's decision-making. I did so by composing comprehensive reports, providing deposition testimony or testifying in court.
 
What types of medico-legal matters do you most often consult on?    
    In the ensuing 30 years of providing expert witness services I have provided expert witness consultation to attorneys in both civil and criminal proceedings.
    The majority of the civil cases in which I have been retained have involved personal injury that has been traumatic or catastrophic involving both medical and psychological damage. However, I have also been consulted on civil matters such as, independent medical examination, civilian  posttraumatic stress disorder, wrongful employment termination and worker's compensation. 
    The criminal cases in which I have been retained have been varied involving matters such as arson, assault, attempted murder, murder and sexual abuse or domestic violence. Since my 2010 return from a nearly two year deployment with the U.S. State Department during which time I served in Iraq, I have been retained to provide expert witness services to legal counsel representing veterans returning to the United States after serving in combat zones such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia who were thought to be suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder and/or traumatic brain injury or who actually were and became involved with the legal system. The charges against the veterans have included charges such as domestic violence, kidnapping, felony manslaughter, assault, robbery, and conspiracy against the U.S. Government.  

Do you conduct competency evaluations?
    Yes. Since 1992 I have been a psychological consultant to the Superior Court of California, the County of Santa Barbara providing competency to stand trial as well as Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity Evaluations .

Do you represent both plaintiffs and defendants?
Yes. Since 2010 I have been retained by defense counsel on six occasions and by plaintiff counsel on ten.

Do you provide expert witness services outside the state of California?
Yes. I have consulted on civil and criminal cases in Arizona and Virginia.