Opinion ID: 63723
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Other expert testimony

Text: Dr. Garnett testified about Williams’s adaptive deficits. He opined that Williams showed significant adaptive limitations in the areas of self care, home living, social and personal skills, work, and leisure. With respect to self care, Dr. Garnett cited Williams’s failure to dress appropriately for the weather. In the area of home care, Dr. Garnett noted that during the only time Williams lived alone for a brief period, he ended up losing his apartment, becoming homeless, and his car broke down because he failed to maintain it. In the area of social skills, Dr. Garnett noted that Williams was beaten up as child and that he had difficulty interacting with people. In the area of work, Dr. Garnett noted that Williams had held five or six jobs in his life and was fired from all of them. In the area of leisure, Dr. Garnett noted testimony that Williams could not play video games or basketball, and that he had no independent hobbies or other leisure activities. As further evidence of adaptive limitations, Dr. Garnett cited Williams’s reluctance to bathe as an adolescent, inability to play sports and games, becoming homeless after losing his job, and failure to maintain his cars. Dr. Garnett also testified that mentally retarded people often adopt strategies to function in everyday life, such as relying on “ambassadors”—caretakers or enablers to help them. According to Dr. Garnett, Williams adopted such strategies. Dr. Garnett admitted that these deficits could be explained by other diagnoses, such as a conduct disorder, oppositional defiance, or learning disabilities. He testified that Williams did not suffer from antisocial personality disorder based on testimony that Williams was empathetic and joked with 9 No. 07-70006 friends. Dr. Garnett also testified that Williams did not have ADHD because Williams could focus at times.