Samenow not qualified!
I believe the Virginia court mistakenly allowed the prosecution to designate as an “expert witness” a psychologist whose views are not grounded in science or medicine and who, by his own admission, is unqualified to diagnose mental retardation. The prosecution’s “expert,” Stanton Samenow, is a professional witness, not a helping professional.
While Dr. Samenow is, of course, free to believe as he wishes, his views are politics, not psychology. No court should permit him to use trial proceedings to pander to law-and-order jurors when he cannot support his claims using the methodology recognized in the field of intellectual disabilities.
If courts and juries are going to engage in life-and-death decision-making regarding who is and is not properly diagnosed with mental retardation, they should hear from experts who are qualified by training and experience to render opinions in this area. Dr. Samenow does not meet this standard.
Author: Robert Perske, Citizen Advocate and Author, 159 Hollow Tree Ridge Rd., Darien, CT 06820. E-mail: Rperske@aol.com
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