Opinion ID: 2509517
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Psychological Expert Testimony

Text: Dr. David Benson, a professor of neurology, tested defendant's IQ at 85-86. He observed signs of brain abnormalities. He diagnosed defendant as mildly to moderately mentally retarded. After administering a PET scan (positron emission tomography scan) to defendant, Dr. Monte Buchsbaum, a psychiatrist, testified that defendant suffers from brain damage in areas of the brain controlling memory and learning. In the opinion of Dr. Francis Crinella, a clinical psychologist specializing in developmental neurology, psychological test results confirmed brain damage and were consistent with defendant's life history of immaturity, explosiveness, conduct disorders, and difficulties in getting along. Defendant's IQ test scores ranged from 51 to 85. Generally, defendant did better on tests that required little abstract reasoning. In Dr. Crinella's view, defendant's brain damage affected his ethical and moral judgment. Dr. Jerome Evans, a clinical psychologist, said defendant was mentally disabled in various ways throughout his life, and as he got older the disability became worse. Defendant's performance never passed that of an eight to 10 year old. According to Dr. Evans, defendant is incapable of acting remorseful, because he doesn't know when to try to look good for others. Persons with defendant's family background and ... emotional problems ... never succeed at anything.... [E]verything that they try turns out to be a mess or a problem. On cross-examination by the prosecution, Dr. Evans said he had diagnosed defendant as manifesting a schizotypal personality disorder; such persons have peculiar ideas, odd beliefs, magical thinking, and paranoid thoughts. Dr. John Irwin, a professor of sociology, testified about the conditions of confinement in maximum security prisons.