Areas of Specialization

Hate Crimes Violence Competency Criminal Responsibility & Sanity tiny dot Risk Assessment
Confessions & Suggestibility Sex Offenders Capital Homicide Malingering Correctional Psychology

Dr. Franklin has extensive specialized training in forensic psychology. She has testified in multiple jurisdictions in California, Washington, Idaho, and Utah. She serves on the court-appointed expert panels of Alameda, San Francisco, Contra Costa, and other counties in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, and on a panel of experts for the United States Air Force. She conducts risk assessment evaluations of Mentally Disordered Offenders (MDO's) for the State of California.

With more than two decades of experience interfacing with the criminal justice system and holding psychology licenses in two states, she has been retained as an expert to examine a wide range of criminal and civil forensic topics, including competency, sanity, mental status, malingering, dangerousness, confessions, suggestibility, sex offender risk and emotional distress. Her areas of specialization include:

COMPETENCY (JUVENILE & ADULT)

Dr. Franklin teaches a course on competency assessment at the California School of Professional Psychology / Alliant International University, and regularly conducts competency evaluations using state-of-the-art procedures and techniques

Current Courses at Alliant International University

CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY / SANITY

Dr. Franklin's extensive training in forensic psychology has allowed her to conduct numerous criminal responsibility evaluations. She has evaluated defendants regarding a wide range of psycholegal issues relating to criminal responsibility, including insanity, diminished capacity, diminished actuality, amnesia, somnambulism (sleepwalking) and issues of specific intent.

RISK ASSESSMENT

Dr. Franklin has training and experience in state-of-the-art risk assessment of violent offenders and sex offenders. She conducts risk assessments of Mentally Disordered Offenders (MDO's) for the California Forensic Assessment Project and for the Mentally Disordered Offender unit of the State of California's Department of Mental Health. She also conducts risk assessments of sex offenders, include those awaiting trial and those who have been civilly committed as Sexually Violent Predators (SVP's).

MALINGERING

Dr. Franklin is knowledgeable about the scientific methods for detecting malingering among forensic populations, in both the criminal and civil contexts. She has authored a recent case study on the misclassification of malingering.

CONFESSION ADMISSIBILITY AND INTERROGATIVE SUGGESTIBILITY

Dr. Franklin evaluates criminal defendants regarding their competency to waive their Miranda rights and confess, as well as on their interrogative suggestibility. She utilizes specialized instruments for these purposes.

CAPITAL HOMICIDE

Dr. Franklin's experience working with defendants suffering from a wide variety of psychological conditions and her facility at establishing clinical rapport assist her in conducting penalty phase evaluations regarding psychological evidence of mitigation and aggravation. She conducts capital case evaluations at both the pretrial and appellate levels.

HATE CRIME MOTIVATIONS

Dr. Franklin is a widely recognized expert on the motivations of hate crime offenders. Her published research on this topic has garnered two prestigious awards, and is extensively cited in popular and scientific venues.

Research & Publications

Interview on PBS' Frontline

U.S. Congressional committee briefing

SEX OFFENDERS

A significant portion of Dr. Franklin's work involves the evaluation of sex offenders, both pretrial and postconviction. She regularly conducts Penal Code 288.1 evaluations of pretrial detainees, and civil commitment evaluations of individuals under California's Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) laws. She has specialized training regarding internet sex offending.

VIOLENCE AND AGGRESSION

Dr. Franklin's work in prisons and jails and as program coordinator for violent patients at a state mental hospital has contributed to her expertise on this topic. She has explored how masculine socialization and rigid enforcement of gender norms for male and female behavior contribute to violence. She works clinically with men and women who are struggling to change violent behavior patterns and/or who have been victimized by violence.

CORRECTIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

Dr. Franklin's interest in this topic stems from her employment as a psychologist at a model mental health program at McNeil Island State Penitentiary in Washington and at San Quentin State Prison. She has also conducted research at a county jail in Tacoma, Washington, and she is knowledgeable about specific issues pertaining to correctional psychology, including the psychological effects of prolonged incarceration and/or segregation and ethical issues in correctional psychology.

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