CRIMINALSVC

Kelly R. Goodness, Ph.D.

“I bring to bear considerable forensic experience to my work as I have been charged with treating, evaluating and investigating thousands of individuals involved in all manner of legal cases. I am equally comfortable conducting assessments in the community, testifying in court, developing trial strategy in a plush office or interviewing an out-of-control defendant in a jail cell because that is what my job requires.”

We invite you to peruse our service categories:

Criminal Forensic Services

Some of our most common Criminal Forensic Services are discussed or listed below.

• Expert Testimony Services - Expert witness services as either, a) an evaluating and testifying expert or as, b) a non-evaluating, pure educational expert. An educational expert does not evaluate anyone, but instead provides educational testimony to the triers of fact who may then use the testimony in their decision-making.
  
  
• Competency to Stand Trial Evaluations (CST) are used to determine if a defendant has sufficient present mental capacity to understand the basic details of court proceedings and if the defendant has the ability to interact with an attorney in a manner that allows them to assist in the defense.
  
  
• Mental Status at the Time of the Offense (MSO) Evaluations, more commonly referred to as Insanity Evaluations, seek to determine whether the defendant was suffering from a mental illness or defect at the time an offense was committed and whether such interfered with his or her knowledge of right and wrong at that time. Mens Rea and Actus Reus testimony may be provided.
  
  
• Death Penalty Mitigation Investigations are comprehensive, multigenerational, biopsychosocial investigations of an individual’s psychology, background, and life circumstances that aim to uncover why and how a defendant has developed into the particular person who has been charged with a capital offense. The ultimate goal of these investigations is to provide the defense team, and, in turn, the triers of fact with sufficient information about the defendant to render a just verdict in a capital death case. Usually, the defendant is evaluated for potential neuropsychological deficits, mental retardation, mental illness and conditions that may impact their functional abilities. Detailed social histories are compiled and potential mitigation witness are identified and interviewed. We may perform all or only part of the overall mitigation investigation depending on the attorney’s preference. We may serve as testifying experts, trial consultants, educational witnesses, or our involvement may be limited to pre-trial services. While we prefer to conduct mitigation investigations pre-trial, we frequently address mitigation for appellate attorneys.
  
  
• Sentencing Evaluations in non-death penalty cases are similar to mitigation evaluations in death penalty cases, but are usually smaller in scale depending on the case resources and requirements.
  
  
• Dangerousness Risk Evaluations have a variety of purposes. Generally speaking, this type of assessment is used to determine an individual’s level of risk for engaging in acts of violence against people or property in a given environment and for a particular length of time. Dangerousness risk evaluations may be requested before or during a trial to assist with sentencing options, at the time of a parole hearing to assist with release decisions, or for sex offenders who are nearing the completion of their sentences in order to assist with civil commitment determinations or conditional release planning.
  
  
• Dangerousness Risk Management – provide treatment and risk management services to address case specific risk factors.
  
  
• Plea Assistance - Assist the defendant in understanding and processing the information necessary to rationally consider a plea given the case facts and circumstances.
  
  
• Assessment of Other Legal Competencies / Capacities to:
  • give a voluntary confession
  • understand Miranda warnings
  • consent to search or seizure
  • make legal strategy decisions such as pleading guilty, declining an insanity defense or proceeding pro se
  • be sentenced and executed
  
  
  
• Transfer to Adult Court – provide psychological evaluations to assist Courts in determining if a juvenile has the sophistication and maturity to be tried in adult court.
  
  
• Juvenile Probation often requests evaluations to assist with sentencing, treatment recommendations, risk management, and placement decisions.