Boston Defense Attorneys and Problematic Sexual Behaviors
Posted by Joseph Doherty on Thu, Nov 03, 2011 @ 08:45 AM
You have been retained to defend a man who has allegedly committed a sex offense. He denies the allegations. You review the police reports and victim statements. You confer with the ADA prosecuting the case. You appraise your client of how you intend to proceed in his defense.
What is often left out of the above scenario, and what may be helpful to you in your defense of your client, is a forensic psychosexual evaluation.
Forensic psychosexual evaluations are valuable because they provide information on:
- Personality Functioning
- Sexual Interests
- Mood Disorders (Bipolar, depression, etc.)
- Substance Abuse Problems
- Trauma
- Cognitive Functioning
If your client's IQ falls between 50-70 he is mildly mentally retarded. This would raise issues of his competency. If he has no deviant sexual interests, that's a plus. If there are indications of substance abuse problems you will perhaps want him to have a substance abuse evaluation. You will definitely want him in substance abuse treatment.
It can, and often does, occur that once the results of the psychosexual evaluations are reviewed with the defendant - this would be part of the evaluating psychologists feedback - he admits his guilt to you. This obviously affects how you proceed with the case. It also means that you would want him in sex offender specific treatment and be able to say that to the Court.
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