Contributors

Capacity FOR JUSTICE (C4J) is pleased to announce and thankful that the Texas Bar Foundation granted funds to the organization in 2004 to provide a Texas Registry of Forensic Experts for Competency, Insanity, and Capacity Determinations in Adult and Juvenile Proceedings. Since its inception in 1965, The Texas Bar Foundation has awarded more than $6 million in grants to law-related programs. Supported by members of the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Bar Foundation is the “largest charitable-funded bar foundation in the country”.

C4J is grateful to the Texas Bar Foundation and Executive Director, Anne R. Yeakel for the opportunity to compile and make data accessible on state licensed psychiatrists and psychologists who have at least 24 credit hours in criminal forensic evaluations: one of the three ways by law to be eligible for judicial appointment.

C4J recognizes the Texas State Health Services Continuing Education Services Committee which assumed the former Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation accreditation of C4J workshops for their role in workshop accreditation for psychiatrists, psychologists who become and/or remain eligible for judicial appointment.

C4J appreciates all its faculty members who contributed to more than eighty days of workshops since 1999, especially Mary Alice Conroy, PhD, ABPP, Director of Clinical Training at Sam Houston State University who mentored C4J and presented at each accredited workshop.

C4J also thanks the faculty of the Institute of Psychiatry, Law and Public Policy (ILPPP) at the University of Virginia School of Law and Medicine, and the Department of Mental Health Law and Policy; Louis de la Porte Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida which mentored C4J in CST exemplary practices, contributed as presenters in 2001 and 2002 and offered directory samples used in their states. C4J recognizes: Richard J. Bonnie, LLB; Director of the ILPPP, Lynda Frost, PhD, JD; Director of the Forensic Evaluation Training and Research Center and the late Gary Hawk, PhD; Director of the Forensic Psychiatry Clinic at ILPPP, and Randy Otto, PhD, ABPP and Norman Poythress PhD, from the Florida Institute.

C4J acknowledges Superintendent James E. Smith of North Texas State Hospital at Vernon and Wichita Falls campuses for sharing names of participants in their 2003 specialized trainings and Joel Silberberg MD and Stephen B. Shanfield MD at University of Texas Health Science Center for the permissions from their training participants to be included in the Texas Registry.

C4J also thanks the Travis County clinicians and administrators of a 2001- 2002 ad hoc committee chaired by David Evans, Executive Director of Austin Travis County MHMR Center in preparing a prequel to the Texas Registry. Members: Ollie J. Seay, Ph.D., Mary Alice Conroy, Ph.D., Ellis M. “Pat” Craig, Ph.D., James Van Norman, M.D., Mike Halligan, Director of the Texas Mental Health Consumers (TMHC), Gary Aitchison, MB ChB (recognized as meeting MD credentials) and Genevieve who developed criteria for criminal forensic psychiatrists and psychologists. Using C4J 2001 and 2002 training data with their criteria, C4J published and distributed A Registry of Travis County Criminal Forensic Experts to the County and District judges by mail and on-line, 2003.

C4J also recognizes the role of the Department of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) in providing three annual grants, 1998 through 2003 to C4J and Texas Mental Health Consumers (TMHC). The grant was to promote the adaptation of exemplary practices in Competence to Stand Trial (CST) evaluation procedures to Travis County and Texas for adoption by the Travis County and by the Texas Legislature, to be signed by the Governor.

C4J thanks State Sen. Robert L. Duncan, Jr., Sponsor and Chair of SB553 Task Force which charged members in 2001 – 2003 to review criminal forensic evaluations for CST and insanity defense and make recommendations to the 78th Legislature. SB1057 Sponsored by Duncan, passed by the 78th Legislature and signed by Governor Rick Perry included expert qualification requirements and the exemplary procedures for the Texas Code of Criminal Procedures (TCCP) 46B Incompetency to Stand Trial and the Texas Family Code on Fitness to Proceed to Trial. In 2005 the 79th Legislature incorporated those expert qualification requirements in TCCP 46C, Insanity defense.

C4J recognizes TMHC, partners with C4J since 1998, especially Mike Halligan, Director, Dawn Parker, Office Manager and staff who contributed to the compilation of the Texas Registry and continue to support accredited C4J “Mental Health in the Courtroom” workshops and seminars.

Very important to achieving the Texas Registry online are : Michael Ryan, Computer Programmer, Florence Winn Brown, Erin Fillingame and Susan Alcalde, Data Operators, Waldo Morgan, Website Designer, Darren Peterson, Launch Interactive Media and the voluntary C4J Board Members (listed on website).

Each one above deserves an on-going applause for encouragement, dedication and patience.

Capacity FOR JUSTICE, Inc.
By Genevieve Tarlton Hearon, President

August 2007