Wednesday, February 20, 2008

When a psych eval is justified

A reader sends this news story to argue that it is sometimes appropriate to order a psychiatric evaluation:
NEW YORK - The man accused of hacking a therapist to death and wounding her colleague was ordered by a judge to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

Jobless David Tarloff, 39, is accused of repeatedly slashing therapist Kathryn Faughey to death and wounding her colleague in her office Tuesday evening.

He was arrested at his Queens apartment Saturday morning and later charged with second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault.

During his arraignment yesterday, Tarloff fidgeted and was incoherent as he claimed his Legal Aid lawyer, Reginald Sharpe, was “not an attorney.”

“I’ve seen his driver’s license,” he said. “I don’t know him.”
More famously, Britney Spears has been forced into a psych eval.

In my case, it is completely bogus. Comm. Joseph ordered a psychological evaluation but also said that it did not have to be done by a licensed psychologist. He seems to have forgotten that psychological evaluations have been done three times already, and reported to the court. I doubt that he even knows what a psychological evaluation is. He did not appear to have even read the last one he ordered.

I think that these family court judges should have to undergo a psychological evaluation themselves, so they would at least know what they are.

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