Forensic Psychiatry Consultants: 9

Elliott M. Stein, MD is a Geriatric Psychiatrist with over 45 years of experience caring for the elderly. Dr. Stein is Board Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in General Psychiatry (October, 1979) and Geriatric Psychiatry (April, 1991; Re-Certified, December, 2001, April, 2011, December 2022). He is licensed in California and Florida. Dr. Stein was the Director of Psychiatry at the Jewish Home of San Francisco from 2010-2020, and the Medical Director of their Geriatric Psychiatry Hospital. He has treated older individuals, typically people who have complex combination of psychiatric and medical problems. Dr. Stein has been a Member of the Task Force on Testamentary Capacity and Undue Influence, for the International PsychoGeriatric Association.

Dr. Stein is a Clinical Professor (Voluntary) in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine. He is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry and a Life Member of the International PsychoGeriatric Association.

He is available to serve as an Expert Witness, do legal and forensic consultation, record review, and assessments concerning Psychiatric issues in Older Individuals. Dr. Stein offers his services to attorneys for both Plaintiff or Defense.

Consulting Specialties:

• Contested Wills and Trusts
• Testamentary Capacity, Undue Influence, Insane Delusions
• Geriatric Competence/Capacity
• Financial Elder Abuse
• Dementia and Delirium, Alzheimer’s Disease
• Geriatric Psychiatry Evaluation and Treatment, Psychiatric Medication, Psychotherapeutic Issues
• Depression and Anxiety Disorders
• Relationship Problems between the Elderly and their Adult Children
• Aging and Mental Disorders
• Geriatric Psychiatry issues concerning Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Independent and Assisted Living Facilities
• Medicare Psychiatric Services Coding and Documentation

View Dr. Stein's Expert Witness Profile.

Jessica Chaudhary, MD, is a Board-Certified Psychiatrist with specialties in Psychotherapy and Psychopharmacology. Her practice includes General, Adolescent, and Adult Psychiatry.  

Dr. Chaudhary has wide ranging experience using a variety of different treatment modalities. She offers individualized care based on the client's specific problems, concerns, and preferences. Dr. Chaudhary can provide all services through TELEHEALTH.

Dr. Chaudhary is in private practice and a consultant to attorneys nationwide.  She is a clinical instructor at Yale University and a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.  

Consulting Areas Include:
•    OB-GYN and Psychiatry - Pregnancy and post partum-related psychiatric problems
•    Impaired Professionals - Physicians, nurses, mental health care providers, attorneys, executives, and other professionals and professional organizations
•    Substance Abuse Disorders
•    Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Neurocognitive Disorders, and Co-Morbid Psychiatric and Medical Conditions

View Dr. Jessica Chaudhary's Expert Witness Profile.

Lawrence Amsel, MD, MPH, is Board Certified in Psychiatry and Neurology. An Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and an Attending physician at New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York, NY, he specializes in:

Evidence Based Psychotherapy for Anxiety Disorders - PTSD - Psychological Sequelae of Terrorism

With an MD from Yale University and an MPH in Biostatistics from Columbia University, Dr. Amsel combined his clinical expertise with his analytic mathematics background to become one of the early champions of the application of Decision Science, Game Theory, and Behavioral Economics to Psychiatric Research. 

Dr. Amsel has published numerous articles and delivered presentations, symposia, and workshops on Behavioral Economics and Game Theory and other topics on Mathematical Psychiatry. His speaking services are in demand both nationally and internationally. Dr. Amsel will contribute to the proposed study, “Adolescent and Family Decision Making In Time of Disaster,” as Co-Principal Investigator and will serve as the team expert on decision tasks, helping to incorporate the selected tasks into the overall study design. He will be involved in supervising the collection of data related to these tasks and will help guide study design, data collection and analysis, and assist in the interpretation and publication of research findings. 

In 2003, Dr. Amsel organized the first ever American Psychiatric Association symposium on applications of Game Theory to psychiatry. He has published articles and presented posters on Game Theory modeling of suicide, OCD, and PTSD. After 9/11, Dr. Amsel joined the Trauma Studies and Services division at the New York Psychiatric Institute, and has been involved in treating victims of 9/11 and their families, in training community clinicians in cutting edge treatments for PTSD and Complicated (Traumatic) Grief, as well as in doing research on optimal methods of disseminating this training. 

Over the last several years, Dr. Amsel has been collaborating with Dr. Hoven at the Child Psychiatric Epidemiology Group (CPEG) working on understanding the connection between decision deficits, trauma and psychiatric disorders in the developing brain of children/adolescents. He has extensive clinical expertise within psychiatric research, as well as expertise in applying decision science tasks in psychiatric research settings.

View Dr. Amsel's Expert Witness Profile.

Gloria Kardong, MD, DLFAPA, DABPN is a Board Certified Psychiatrist with specialties in Psychotherapy and Psychomarmacology. He practice includes General, Adolescent, and Adult Psychiatry as well as Forensic Psychiatry. Dr. Kardong has a broad experience using a verity of different treatment modalities. She offers individualized care based on the client's specific problems, concerns and preferences. In full time private practice in Palo Alto, CA for the past 25 years, Dr. Kardong is a Psychiatric Consultant for Stanford University Schools of Law and Medicine, the California Medical Board, and private attorneys nationwide. She is an Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University Medical Center and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Kardong has been named a Top Doctor in Silicon Valley by San Jose Magazine for over a decade. Specialty Areas Include:

• OB-GYN and psychiatry - Pregnancy and post partum-related psychiatric problems; infertility; gynecology; menopause / hormonal issues; PTSD / childhood sexual abuse / adult consequences and relationship / sexuality issues
• Impaired Professionals - Physicians, nurses, mental health care providers, attorneys executives and other professionals and professional organizations

View Dr. kardong's Expert Witness Profile.

• Criminal Court Evaluations - Competence to Stand Trial, Assessment of Criminal Responsibility, NGRI Assessments
• Civil Court Evaluations - Personal Injury with Psychiatric symptoms, Brain Injury with Psychiatric symptoms, Malpractice related questions
• Family Court Evaluations - Involuntary Commitment, Guardianship, Testamentary Capacity, Undue Influence, Contractual Capacity, Fitness to Parent, Child Custody
• Third Party Forensic Evaluations - Fitness for Duty, Return to Work, Disability, ADA Accommodations, Medical Necessity, Independent Psychiatric Evaluations

Jeffrey A. Sugar, MD has been a practicing Psychiatrist for over 25 years. Board certified both in Child and General Psychiatry, Dr. Sugar is the Director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Trauma Program at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles, CA.

Dr. Sugar is Attending Psychiatrist in both Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Adult Psychiatry Outpatient Clinics at USC. He teaches child and general psychiatrists-in-training and medical students on topics ranging from Trauma, Adversity, and Dissociation to Psychotherapy theory and methods.

Dr. Sugar was the founding director of the Hathaway Children’s Clinical Research Institute where he performed funded research on the effects of interpersonal child trauma. Dr. Sugar has presented at national and international meetings on child and adolescent Trauma and Dissociation.

Consulting Services Include:

• Effects of Trauma and Adversity on Child Development
• Chronic Physical, Sexual or Emotional Abuse
• Psychological Trauma in the Workplace
• Date Rape / Internet Seduction
• Post-Traumatic Loss, Grief and Depression
• Psychological Effects of Injury to the Body or Brain
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Professional Organizations:

View Dr. Sugar's Expert Witness Profile.

Sanjay Adhia, MD, MRO, is triple-Board-Certified in Psychiatry, Brain Injury Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry. In addition to forensic/expert witness practice, Dr. Adhia has provided patient care in the Houston area. Currently, he is a neuropsychiatrist at Memorial Herman TIRR where he treats those with brain injury, stroke, and other neurological injuries. His forensic practice focuses on the psychiatric impact of personal injury, medical malpractice, drug and alcohol abuse, sexual abuse, competency, violence, and complicating mental illness, as well as psychiatric disability. 

Dr. Adhia is among one of the few Forensic Psychiatrists who is also Board-Certified in Brain Injury Medicine. Often, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) can be a major factor in litigation as it can result in psychiatric or neurocognitive impairments. He has expertise in psychopharmacology, the medicine of medication. 

In addition, Dr. Adhia works with Physicians for Human Rights to assess victims of kidnapping and false imprisonment, human trafficking, undue influence, physical and sexual abuse, rape, and fear of imminent death. In all populations, he assesses PTSD, Anxiety, Depressive Disorders, risk of suicide, and malingering. He is experienced in the treatment and impact of drug and alcohol abuse on decision-making. Dr. Adhia has also treated severe psychosis (Schizophrenia, hallucinations) and psychopathology. Dr. Adhia was formerly treating patients at a Maximum Security Prison and prison psychiatric hospital. He has treated Opioid Use Disorders. 

Dr. Adhia’s findings consider complicating factors, such as emotional distress worsened by other active physical and mental conditions. Other factors are pre-existing mental and physical illness, competency and capacity (e.g. dementia, Intellectual Disability.) As a physician, Dr. Adhia is uniquely qualified to review medical records and doctor reports. Institutional medicine, medical malpractice, and standard of care apply to both public and private facilities, including government, regulated correctional institutions, and psychiatric hospitals. Dr. Adhia is skilled in these med-legal issues. He conducts Independent Medical Examinations, review of records, and reports his med-legal findings and opinions. He is available to testify in civil, criminal, probate, Federal, Immigration, military, and administrative jurisdictions.

Stephen M. Raffle, M.D. is double Board-Certified in Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry. Dr. Raffle has over 49 years as a clinical and forensic psychiatrist offering his expert opinion in Federal and State jurisdictions nationwide. In addition to serving as an expert witness, Dr. Raffle consults to attorneys, judges, insurers, and to employers regarding Fitness for Duty and Risk of Violence (Threat) Assessment:

• 5000+ psychiatric assessments
• Expert testimony in 700 depositions and trials
• Successful clinical practice

The job of an expert witness is to educate a jury, judge, attorney, and trier of fact about the forensic psychiatrist's conclusions and how those opinions were derived in a manner well-reasoned, skillful, and easily understood by every person, not only another forensic psychiatrist. In short, an educator. Dr. Raffle’s experience as an educator extends well beyond a forensic venue, yet underpins the key to his ability to explain his opinions.

• Prof. of Psychiatry, UCSF Medical School, 20 years
• U.C. Hastings College of the Law postgraduate course "Trial and Appellate Advocacy" instructing seasoned attorneys about the direct and cross-examination of expert witnesses, with special focus on mental health experts and licensed medical professionals, Psychiatrists (MDs), Psychologists (LCSWs / MFTs), and physicians in other medical specialties, 11 years

Stephen M. Raffle, M.D. & Associates' expertise is well-established in forensic assessment in the areas of:

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Dementia and Competency
• Testamentary Capacity
• Undue Influence
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Malingering
• Emotional Distress: Intentional & Unintentional infliction
• Emotional Distress: Forensic Evaluation to render medical-legal opinion
• Diagnosis and Need for Treatment
• Fitness For Duty
• Risk/Threat Workplace Violence Assessment
• Wrongful Termination
• Discrimination (ADA, Title VII, EEOC)
• Harassment
• Employment Litigation
• Medical Malpractice
• Catastrophic Injury
• Temporary and Permanent Disability
• Medical Records Review
• Assist in Preparation for Direct and Cross-examination of Expert Witnesses and Deposition of expert witnesses

Licensed in California.

Suzanne Dupée. MD is a triple-board certified Child, Adolescent, and Forensic Psychiatrist practicing in Manhattan Beach in Los Angeles County, Southern California.  She specializes in a wide range of psychiatric services for children, adolescents, adults and families.

Dr  Dupée completed her general psychiatric residency at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.  She furthered her training by studying Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego.  She then moved to New York City to complete a Forensic Psychiatric Fellowship at New York University.

In private practice in Los Angeles since 2002, Dr. Dupée's practice includes treating children, adolescents and adults for Medication Management.  She specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of Attention Deficit, Hyperactivity Disorder, Depression, Anxiety, and other Psychiatric Conditions in children, adolescents and adults. 

Dr. Dupée is invited to speak to at presentations and trainings for mental health and legal professionals.  Her Manhattan Beach office is located one block from the beach and one block from the pier in beautiful Manhattan Beach, CA.  Her office provides a warm, comfortable, child-friendly relaxing atmosphere for her patients and evaluees.

Dr. Dupée is currently authoring several chapters in the seminal forensic psychiatric textbook, Principles and Practice of Forensic Psychiatry.  Dr. Dupée taught forensic psychiatry trainees at UCLA for over 10 years until the Forensic Psychiatry program ended.  She is an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California, Irvine where she trains forensic psychiatry trainees.

View Dr. Dupée's Expert Witness Profile.