I have a murder case where I anticipate that the defendant is going to raise the insanity defense and claim that Topamax contributed to some sort of underlying minor mental disease or defect to make him insane at the time of the offense. Does anyone have any experience with such a claim? While I am admittedly a bad researcher, I can't even find any wild claims on the Internet that support this idea. I'd also love to hear the names of potential experts that I might suggest to the court, if we get to the point that we need an independent expert. I've already gotten the names of a few, but it never hurts to have too many.

Dr. Michael Fuller - UTMB Galveston.

Dr. Susan Stone, M.D.
Dr. Cecil Reynolds, M.D.

Both in the Bastrop area. Call me if you need numbers.

They have testified and/or examined a murder defendant using an antidepressant defense. I feel they are independent, although they supported that defense in that particular case. We use them often here as state experts, and their credibility is high in the Bastrop-Austin area.

Dr. David Self, who is the supervising psychiatrist on the forensic service at the Rusk State Hospital can probably provide perspective.

JAS

Greg, Cecil is a psychologist not a physician.

Viz. Mike Fuller -- he is on the faculty at UTMB (Galveston) and while not well published, is enormously ingenuous and thoughtful on the stand. We both testified a week or so ago in a competency hearing wherein he saw the def some three months after I saw him, and after the def was medicated as I had suggested. Both of us agreed on the clinical facts, it was but that he had the benefit of seeing a def at a different place. His testimony was - I thought - extremely lucid and very helpful to the trier of fact. It was a bench trial and the judge was laudatory of both of us... But, I would use him any day -- especially on an issue that requires knowledge of psychopharmacology wherein a psychologist (or most psychologists) could be challenged on Daubert grounds.

I was wandering around looking at the postings and thought I was going to fall off my chair laughing!
I take Topamaxr as a preventative medicine for migraines. It is also used for epilepsy. It would not be hard to find an expert. We have a few we use. Dr. Susan Stone. I don't certainly hold myself out as any sort of phamacologist but something is missing here if the defendant thinks topamax caused his insanity or murderous rage whatever the facts may be. I'm in Bastrop County if you want to chat. 512-581-7125 Kathy Holton

quote:

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Originally posted by Floyd L. Jennings:
Greg, Cecil is a psychologist not a physician.

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I stand corrected and I couldn't be corrected by a finer gentleman.