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| ==Expert testimony== | ==Expert testimony== | ||
| ;West Memphis 3 | |||
| Dr. Ofshe gave testimony in the case of the ], three boys tried and convicted for the murders of three children in the ] area of ], ] during ]. ] - the alleged ringleader - was ]. ] and ] were sentenced to life in prison. The case has received considerable attention. Many critics charge that the arrests and convictions were a ] inspired by a misguided ], and that the defendants were ] during a period of intense media scrutiny and so-called "]". | |||
| During Jessie's trial, Ofshe testified that the brief recording was a "classic example" of police coercion.<ref>Steel, Fiona. "The West Memphis 3." Court TV. 17 Mar. 2006 <http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/famous/memphis/index_1.html>.</ref> Professor Ofshe has described Misskelley's statement saying, " the stupidest fucking confession I've ever seen."<ref>, Ofshe, Re: Misskelley's 6.3.93 statement </ref> There is no evidence that Misskelley denied his role in the crime and subsequent to his conviction that he confessed a second and third time, the latter of which with both of his attorneys present and the entire matter on tape.<ref>, February 4, 1994.</ref><ref>, February 17, 1995.</ref> | |||
| ;Paul Ingram | |||
| On ], ], he testified at the pardon hearing for ]. In a TV-movie about that case, ], he was portrayed by ]. | On ], ], he testified at the pardon hearing for ]. In a TV-movie about that case, ], he was portrayed by ]. | ||
Revision as of 18:09, 1 January 2007
| Richard Ofshe | |
|---|---|
| Born | United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Queens College of the City University of New York, B.A., M.A. Stanford University, Ph.D. |
| Known for | social psychology, pseudo-memory |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | sociology, social psychology |
| Institutions | Professor Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley |
Richard Ofshe is a Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. He specializes in "coercive social control; social psychology; influence in police interrogation; influence leading to pseudo-memory in psychotherapy."
Education
- Queens College of the City University of New York, B.A., psychology
- Queens College of the City University of New York, M.A., sociology
- Stanford University, Ph.D., sociology, sub-specializing in social psychology
Expert testimony
- West Memphis 3
Dr. Ofshe gave testimony in the case of the West Memphis 3, three boys tried and convicted for the murders of three children in the Robin Hood Hills area of West Memphis, Arkansas, United States during 1993. Damien Echols - the alleged ringleader - was sentenced to death. Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin were sentenced to life in prison. The case has received considerable attention. Many critics charge that the arrests and convictions were a miscarriage of justice inspired by a misguided moral panic, and that the defendants were wrongfully convicted during a period of intense media scrutiny and so-called "satanic panic".
During Jessie's trial, Ofshe testified that the brief recording was a "classic example" of police coercion. Professor Ofshe has described Misskelley's statement saying, " the stupidest fucking confession I've ever seen." There is no evidence that Misskelley denied his role in the crime and subsequent to his conviction that he confessed a second and third time, the latter of which with both of his attorneys present and the entire matter on tape.
- Paul Ingram
On June 7, 1996, he testified at the pardon hearing for Paul Ingram. In a TV-movie about that case, Forgotten Sins, he was portrayed by William Devane.
With Singer, Sues APA
Ofshe and Margaret Singer sued the American Psychological Association and other scholars in 1992 for "defamation, frauds, aiding and abetting and conspiracy", under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), after a report comissioned by the APA was rejected
The case was dismissed by the court on the basis that the claims of defamation, frauds, aiding and abetting and conspiracy constituted a dispute over the application of the First Amendment to a public debate over academic and professional matters; that the parties may be be described as the opposing camps in a longstanding debate over certain theories in the field of psychology, and the plaintiffs could not establish deceit with reference to representations made to other parties in the lawsuit.
In a further ruling, James R. Lamden ordered Ofshe and Singer to pay $80,000 in attorneys' fees under California's SLAPP suit law, which penalizes those who harass others for exercising their First Amendment rights. At that time, Singer and Ofshe declared their intention to sue Michael Flomenhaft, the lawyer that represented them in the case, for malpractice.
Publications
Books
- Making Monsters: False Memories, Psychotherapy, And Sexual Hysteria, with co-author Ethan Watters
- Therapy's Delusions: The Myth of the Unconscious and the Exploitation of Today's Walking Worried, with co-author Ethan Watters
Articles
See also
References
- Steel, Fiona. "The West Memphis 3." Court TV. 17 Mar. 2006 <http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/famous/memphis/index_1.html>.
- Notable quotes, Ofshe, Re: Misskelley's 6.3.93 statement
- Jessie Misskelley's patrol car statement, February 4, 1994.
- Jessie Misskelley statement, February 17, 1995.
- Case No. 730012-8 Margaret Singer v. American Psychological Association, Court order
- Case No. 730012-8, Margaret Singer, et al., Plaintiff v. American Psychological Association, et. Al., Defendants
"This case, which involves claims of defamation, frauds, aiding and abetting and conspiracy, clearly constitutes a dispute over the application of the First Amendment to a public debate over matters both academic and professional. The disputant may fairly be described as the opposing camps in a longstanding debate over certain theories in the field of psychology. The speech of which the plaintiff's complain, which occurred in the context of prior litigation and allegedly involved the "fraudulent" addition of the names of certain defendants to documents filed in said prior litigation, would clearly have been protected as comment on a public issue whether or not the statements were made in the contest of legal briefs. The court need not consider whether the privilege of Civil Code 47 (b) extends to an alleged interloper in a legal proceeding. Plaintiffs have not presented sufficient evidence to establish any reasonable probability of success on any cause of action. In particular Plaintiffs cannot establish deceit with reference to representations made to other parties in the underlying lawsuit. Thus Defendants' Special Motions to Strike each of the causes at action asserted against them, pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure 425.16 is granted." - Allen. Charlotte, Brainwashed! Scholars of Cults Accuse Each Other of Bad Faith, December 1998. Available online
External links
- Dr. Richard Ofshe, testimony, "Free the West Memphis Three"
- Richard Ofshe academic homepage
- Academic Interests
- Audio of Paul Ingram Pardon Hearing
- Forgotten Sins in the Internet Movie Database
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