An expert in neuropsychology and/or psychology can provide invaluable input into the assessment of competency to waive Miranda rights, competency to confess, competency to represent oneself in court, competency to stand trial, competency to be sentenced, competency to be executed, and competency to waive death penalty appeals. Competency assessment involves the thorough assessment of the specific skills and knowledge required for a given function that has legal ramifications.
Competency is task-specific, and competency in one domain does not at all ensure competency in others. Neuropsychological testing yields information about specific cognitive domains, but does not substitute for a thorough assessment of task-specific abilities related to legal competence. However it is very useful when the defendant claims amnesia, is demented or brain damaged or has a very complex psychiatric history. Psychological testing can further inform the court about personality qualities, severity of psychiatric illness, or the extent of a person’s irrational thinking.
The Forensic Panel tailors its neuropsychological and psychological testing protocols to the specific nature of each competency inquiry, and uses testing to supplement investigative review of history and available clinical data. Tests may assess a person’s intelligence, memory, vocabulary, personality, learning, mental organization, suggestibility, malingering, and other cognitive abilities. An evidence-based neuropsychological or psychological assessment combined with the oversight of The Forensic Panel’s peer-review enforces the strictest levels of objectivity, and evaluates additional information that supplements testing data. The result? Reports that resonate with a bulletproof integrity and high-grade informative value.