When I served as a Juvenile Court Referee in North Dakota, I could predict the diagnosis and prescription for a juvenile case just by checking to see what psychologist or psychiatrist had been assigned to the case. One psychologist, whether the case involved anything from truancy to murder, diagnosed every problem as stemming from vitamin deficiency, and his recommendation was massive doses of vitamins (which he sold out of his office). Another was a Freudian who viewed every juvenile problem as rooted in parental conflicts or sexual conflicts; others had other leanings.The writer is now a state appellate court judge.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Goofy court referees
In connection with comments about goofy court experts, I got this email:
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1 comment:
But hang on a minute. The referee is making an intelligent observation: that the diagnosis and prescription depends more on the shrink chosen than on the child in question. I, personally, am encouraged that a judge would be aware of this and, hopefully, might take the evidence given by such people with the weight that they deserve. This isn't "goofy".
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