Question: how far does immunity go for expert witnesses when they are granted immunity?
Situation: A psychiatrist and a psychologist are hired by the state to perform forensic evaluations on the accused in an attempted murder case. They both report the accused was psychotic and experiencing auditory and visual halluciations at the time of the attack. The accused reported she had seen the victim turn into a werewolf. But they also proceed to say the victim who they never interviewed or reviewed her medical/mental health records on possibly shared delusions with the accused. They said the victim practiced witchcraft, asked to be murdered, was suicidal etc. None of their statements made about the victim are consistent with mental health records since the attempt on the life of the victim. Victim had no prior mental health history and her therapist since the attack and others who evaluated her all say in their records she was not suicidal at the time of the attack.
Are these two forensic evaluators immune for publicly speculating about the mental health of the victim even when the victim's own medical records contradict their conclusions? Victim was unable to dispute the results in court since this was for a competancy hearing for the accused and the victim had no standing in the proceedings.
Situation: A psychiatrist and a psychologist are hired by the state to perform forensic evaluations on the accused in an attempted murder case. They both report the accused was psychotic and experiencing auditory and visual halluciations at the time of the attack. The accused reported she had seen the victim turn into a werewolf. But they also proceed to say the victim who they never interviewed or reviewed her medical/mental health records on possibly shared delusions with the accused. They said the victim practiced witchcraft, asked to be murdered, was suicidal etc. None of their statements made about the victim are consistent with mental health records since the attempt on the life of the victim. Victim had no prior mental health history and her therapist since the attack and others who evaluated her all say in their records she was not suicidal at the time of the attack.
Are these two forensic evaluators immune for publicly speculating about the mental health of the victim even when the victim's own medical records contradict their conclusions? Victim was unable to dispute the results in court since this was for a competancy hearing for the accused and the victim had no standing in the proceedings.
