FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY

Question 1

Patient’s right to information obtained
during treatment from being disclosed
in judicial proceedings? (2x)

Answer 1

Patient Privilege

Question 2

Only a psychiatrist testifying as an
expert witness can describe this part of a
patient’s case? (2x)

Answer 2

Prognosis of disease

Question 3

Optimal approach to court ordered child

custody evaluation? (2x)

Answer 3

Meet with parents independently,
observe child interacting with each
parent

Question 4

Juvenile court proceedings differ from
adult court in right of the defendant to?
(2x)

Answer 4

Trial by jury

Question 5

Prevailing legal doctrine that is overall
guiding principle when deciding child
custody disputes? (2x)

Answer 5

Best-interests of the child

Question 6

Standard of proof against physician
required for jury to use in malpractice
trial? (2x)

Answer 6

Reasonable degree of certainty

Question 7

What is the standard of proof to terminate

parental rights?

Answer 7

Clear and convincing

Question 8

When a psychiatrist provides information

to a lawyer to be used at a trial under oath?

Answer 8

Deposition

Question 9

Child with depression and fulminant
hepatic failure is started on fluoxetine. He
passes away from hepatic failure. Parents
read that fluoxetine can cause severe liver
damage. What would need to be proven to
claim professional negligence?

Answer 9

Direct causation

Question 10

How does a waiver transferring an
individual from juvenile to adult court
affect the offender and the legal
proceedings?

Answer 10

Increased risk for future physical or sexual

abuse

Question 11

How should a staff psychiatrist at a county
juvenile detention center document an
adolescent’s report of a crime?

Answer 11

List alleged crime without details

Question 12

Goal of dispute-resolution techniques such
as collaborative law and mediation when
dealing with divorcing parents?

Answer 12

Minimize adverse impacts of litigation

Question 13

How are youth vulnerable in arrest and

interrogation?

Answer 13

More likely to give a false confession

Question 14

Psychiatrist asked to testify as expert
witness in a divorce. One parent worried
that child will catch the other parent’s
contagious infection. Psychiatrist should
decline because?

Answer 14

Outside of specialty of expertise

Question 15

During what sort of assessment is the
psychiatrist’s aim not to provide
therapeutic benefit for a child?

Answer 15

Court-ordered psych eval

Question 16

Mother of 7 yo child treated a year ago for
separation anxiety by psychiatrist is asked
to appear in court for custody hearing by
mother’s attorney. Minimal contact with
father during treatment. Appropriate
response?

Answer 16

Decline to offer an opinion because the
psychiatrist had not performed a full child
custody evaluation.

Question 17

What is Voir Dire?

Answer 17

Examining expert witness qualifications.

Question 18

Testimony of child psychiatrist asked to
examine child as court appointed witness
should reflect?

Answer 18

Physician-Patient privilege does not apply
to any information gained during the
examination

Question 19

Distinguishing feature between pre
adjudicatory examination versus normal
diagnostic evaluation?

Answer 19

Pre adjudicatory exam considers risk to the
community and factors for/against
continued delinquency

Question 20

Legal concept of parens patriae empower

states to?

Answer 20

Remove minors from abusive families

Question 21

Being qualified as an expert witness for

legal proceedings is whose decision?

Answer 21

The Judge

Question 22

Expert witness psychiatrist testifies that
defendant was psychotic at time of alleged
crime based on witness testimony who
reported he ran out of
medications/complained of hearing voices
a few days before crime. Why can’t the
prosecutor object that testimony is based
on hearsay evidence?

Answer 22

Psychiatrist cited witness accounts to

justify expert opinion

Question 23

What is a guardian ad litem?

Answer 23

Appears in court on behalf of minor child,

appointed by the court

Question 24

Ruling of Supreme Court case, Roper vs

Simmons (2005)?

Answer 24

Juveniles cannot be sentenced to capital

punishment

Question 25

What intervention in a contested child
custody and divorce case would lead to
improved parental
cooperation/communication?

Answer 25

Court authorized medication treatment

Question 26

University officials learn about 19 y.o.
student endorsing plan to burn down
library. What legislation addresses this?

Answer 26

Family education rights and privacy act

FERPA

Question 27

Post-divorce visitation allowed in all states

by this category of family member?

Answer 27

by this category of family member? Grandparents

Question 28

Capacity for child to act as witness in court?

Answer 28

Be able distinguish trust from falsehood