Michael Welner

Michael Mark Welner (born September 24, 1964, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American forensic psychiatrist.^[1][2][3][4] He is founder and chairman of The Forensic Panel, a forensic science practice,^[5][6][7] an associate professor of psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine, and an adjunct professor of law Duquesne University School of Law.^[8] He has acted as lead forensic psychiatric examiner or as a key consultant in numerous criminal or civil court proceedings around the United States, many of which gained national and international prominence.^[9] Welner is known for developing protocols for forensic peer review through The Forensic Panel, as well as his research to standardize the distinction of the worst of crimes, the Depravity Scale.^[10] He is also recognizable as a commentator on network television news programs, and has written a number of publications for professional and public audiences.^[11]

Education and training

Welner attended the University of Miami, where he earned a B.S. in biology, and the University of Miami School of Medicine where he earned his medical degree. From 1988-1992, Welner undertook his residency in psychiatry at Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan and in 1991 he was admitted to the Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. Welner completed a forensic psychiatry fellowship simultaneously with a psychiatry residency training at the Beth Israel program.^[12]

Professional career

Welner is Board Certified in psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, psychopharmacology, and disaster medicine,^[7] and maintains a private practice of psychopharmacology, specializing in violence and patients who did not respond to other treatment.^[7][13] In addition, Welner serves as an associate professor of psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine and an adjunct professor of law at Duquesne University School of Law in Pittsburgh, PA.

Welner has served as a consultant to provide forensic psychiatric evaluations in criminal and civil courts, including cases that have received national media coverage.

• Andrea Yates was prosecuted by the State of Texas for the murder of her five children. The subsequent 2002 trial and 2006 retrial each centered on the use of the insanity defense by Yates. In 2002, Yates was convicted of murdering three of her children, and sentenced her to life imprisonment. In 2005, the conviction was overturned because prosecution witness, Park Dietz falsely testified that Yates' behavior and defense was identical to an earlier episode of Law & Order. There was no such episode.^[14] Welner testified at the 2006 retrial that Yates had psychotic depression, but was not suffering from delusions, and appreciated the wrong of her actions. The defense presented multiple witnesses that Yates suffered from post-partum depression which rendered her legally insane. The jury found Yates not guilty by reason of insanity.^[15]

• Welner testified as an expert witness for the state competency hearing of Brian David Mitchell, who was convicted in the 2002 kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart.^[16][17] In the criminal trial, the jury found Mitchell guilty and rejected the public defenders’ arguments that Mitchell was not guilty by reason of insanity.

• Welner testified for the prosecution in the military tribunal at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp against Omar Khadr, who was convicted of war crimes committed in Afghanistan.^[18] Khadr entered into a plea bargain, to serve no more than eight additional years at Guantanamo or in a Canadian prison.^[19]

• Welner consulted with a county district attorney in Louisiana to determine whether the recanted confession of Damon A. Thibodeaux, who was convicted in the rape and murder of his stepcousin, was false.^[20] Welner agreed that it was. Thibodeaux was exonerated based on DNA evidence and released from prison in 2012 after spending 15 years on death row.'^[21]

The Forensic Panel

Welner is the founder and chairman of The Forensic Panel, a multi-specialty forensic practice which employs peer-review of its forensic consultation.^[10] The objective of peer review, pursuant to the protocols established by The Forensic Panel, is intended to minimize examiner bias by subjecting forensic assessment to the formal evaluation and scrutiny of peers, who critique the diligence, objectivity, and adherence to standards of the work.^[10][22] The Forensic Panel is composed of over thirty practitioner members who provide forensic consultation in psychiatry, psychology, neuroradiology, emergency and critical care medicine, nursing, toxicology, and pathology.

The Depravity Scale

Welner has attempted to develop^[11][23] a standardization of evil crimes and everyday evil acts. ^{[24] [25]} Many other psychiatric professionals, however, have questioned the logic of trying to codify a concept as inherently subjective as "evil".^[26][27]

Media consultation, writings, and commentary

In 1992 and 1993, Welner was a media coordinator and spokesperson for the Ross Perot presidential election campaign in New York and the citizen action organization United We Stand America, also in New York.^[28][29] During the 1992 election campaign, Welner debated in support of Perot against other candidates’ representatives.

Welner has been a contributor to network news including ABC, CBS, and BBC and to programs such as Larry King Live, on issues relating to forensic psychiatry and criminal behavior. ^{[30][31][32][33][34][35]}

Selected bibliography

• Peer-Reviewed Forensic Consultation: Safeguarding Expert Testimony and Protecting the Uninformed Court. Welner M., Mastellon T, Stewart J, Weinert B, Stratton J. Jl Forensic Psychology Practice. (in print)
• Disaster Psychiatry. Welner M, Page J In: Disaster Preparedness for Health Care Facilities Canadian Centre of Excellence in Emergency Preparedness
• Mob Violence: A Forensic Psychiatric Perspective on Justice and Prevention. Welner M Empire State Prosecutor Fall 2011 pp 12–16
• Defining Evil Through the Depravity Standard and the Clinicians Inventory for the Everyday Extreme and Outrageous (CIEEO) Welner M., Mastellon T. Jl Social Sciences. 1(8) 2011 pp 41–49
• Psychotropic Medications and Crime. Welner M., Lubit R, & Stewart J. In: Mozayani A, Raymon L (ed) Handbook of Drug Interactions: A Clinical and Forensic Guide. Humana London. 2011 pp 791–807
• Antipsychotics Drugs and Interactions: Implications for Criminal and Civil Forensics. (book chapter) Welner, M. Opler L. In: Mozayani A, Raymon L (ed) Handbook of Drug Interactions: A Clinical and Forensic Guide. Humana London. 2011 pp 229–259
• Educator Sexual Abuse: Two Case Reports. Burgess A, Welner M, Willis D Journal of Child Sexual Abuse 19: 4, 2010 387-402
• Forensic Psychiatry. Welner, M. In: Wecht C., (ed) Forensic Sciences. Matthew Bender. New York. (in print)
• Classifying Crimes by Severity: From Aggravators to Depravity, Welner M. In: Douglass J, Ressler R, Burgess A, FBI Crime Classification Manual. Jossey-Bass 2007 pp 55–72.
• Psychopathy, Media, and the Psychology at the Root of Terrorism Welner, M. In: Biological and Chemical Warfare Lawyers and Judges Publishing Tucson Az. 2004 pp 385–421.
• Motives in Crime. Welner, M. In: Dominick J et al. Crime Scene Investigation Elwin Street London. 2004 pp 126–135.
• The Perpetrators and Their Modus Operandi. Welner, M. In: LeBeau M, Mozayani A (ed) Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault. Academic Press. London. 2001 pp 39–74.

References

External links

• The Forensic Panel
• TruTV Crime Library Profile of Dr. Michael Welner