Forensic Psychology means the application of the science and profession of psychology in relation to questions and issues relating to law and legal systems. The forensic psychologist, having made a study of the adversary process, is aware of such factors as relevant case law, legislation, and legal theory, and incorporates these factors into his/her psychological determinations.

     Dr. Stone possesses A.B. (in 1953, from San Jose State University), M.A. (in 1954, from San Jose State University) and Ph.D. (in 1962, from the University of North Dakota) degrees, all in psychology from fully accredited universities, and also has had a formal two-year post-doctoral training fellowship (1966-1968, in several universities, including one year at the University of Stockholm), which was awarded by the National Institute of Mental Health. Additionally, in 1987 he was awarded Diplomate status (same as being ‘Board Certified’) in the specialty field of forensic psychology by both the American Board of Forensic Psychology (ABFP) and the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). Diplomate status from the ABPP represents the highest professional psychology credential one can obtain. It is frequently associated with higher salary schedules in some state and federal organizational employment situations; it is the only such professional specialty credential in psychology given this real acknowledgment. The ABPP Diplomate is also the only post-doctoral specialty certification recognized in the American Psychological Association Directory. In the entire field of psychology there are less than 3,000 who hold ABPP Diplomates and only about 150 who have ABFP/ABPP Diplomates in forensic psychology. There are only two such licensed psychologists listed as being in WV (Dr. Stone was the first of these two) and only three as being in MD (Dr. Stone is also one of these).   He currently holds a CPQ (Certificate of Professional Qualification in Psychology) that is granted by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards.  The CPQ was created so as to facilitate the attainment of reciprocity of licensure and other mechanisms for professional mobility across the 50 states and the Canadian provinces. The granting of CPQs has been in effect for two years [in fact, Dr. Stone's CPQ carries a very low number, #13, which indicates it was one of the very first to be issued].  As of the end of August 2000, 12 states and provinces now accept the CPQ for licensure including:  Alberta, California, DC, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Wisconsin.  Eleven other states/provinces  (Alabama, Connecticut, Idaho, Louisiana, Manitoba, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, Nova Scotia, Rhode Island and Wyoming) have voted to accept the CPQ and are working to amend their rules or procedures to allow full implemention in the near future.  The CPQ has a very important characteristic - it is the single professional credential granted to psychologists that is accepted by the psychology licensing boards throughout the US and Canada.

     In addition to his private practice (exclusively limited to forensic psychology concerns), he also is (by contract) a Medical Expert consultant to the Board of Hearings and Appeals of the Social Security Administration and has an appointment as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry in West Virginia University's School of Medicine. He is the author of two books, over 200 journal articles (in peer refereed behavioral science journals), as well as a number of copyrighted tests, test manuals, and materials. In the past couple of years he has more than once given lectures within the Mountaineer Continuing Legal Education Series (jointly sponsored by the WV State Bar Association and West Virginia University's College of Law). He has been frequently invited by journal editors to publish in their journals. In 1987 he was honored to be appointed as a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Psychology. He holds membership in the American Psychological Association (since 1958), the Psychonomic Society (since 1965), American Psychology-Law Society (since 1978) and the Military Testing Association (since 1988); and has been listed in dozens of professional directories (including Who’s Who in America, 46th Edition). Dr. Stone has been actively providing forensic psychology services since 1970. He currently is a licensed psychologist in WV and MD.

     His professional history also includes 13 years of full-time academic employment; when he left academia in 1975 he was a tenured full professor of psychology (in a doctoral granting department as well as in a medical college’s Department of Community Medicine). At the close of 1996 he retired from federal employment with 25 years service as the Chief Research Psychologist in this Country’s largest intelligence agency; in this employment he was that agency’s most senior (in grade as well as length of employment) psychologist. During his entire employment period with this agency, his civilian employment grade was equal to that of an army ‘Full Colonel’ or navy ‘Captain.’

      Dr. Stone, when involved with the criminal justice system, has had close to 40 years experience in psychologically assessing persons who have been charged with offenses ranging from first-time DUI to those facing potential death sentences.  The great majority of his cases have involved individuals accused of extremely serious felony offenses.  The particular forensic psychology services that are currently offered by Dr. Stone include the following (those with the * indicated are services that are more frequently provided):

                    Alcohol & Drug Abuse*
                    Assessment for Special or Security Environments*
                    Assessment in Death Penalty Cases
                    Assessment of Malingering and Defensiveness*
                    Challenge of Eyewitness Identifications/Reports
                    Criminal Responsibility/Sanity Evaluation*
                    Criminality Assessment*
                    Dangerousness/Violence Risk Assessment*
                    Diagnostic Assessment*
                    Diminished Capacity and mens rea Examinations*
                    Document Readability Level Determination*
                    Forensic Psychology Research*
                    Forensic Psychology Teaching/Education
                    Jury Selection
                    Line-up Identification; Sequential vs. Simultaneous
                      Presentations 
                    Litigation Strategy 
                    Evaluation of Miranda Rights Waivers*
                    Personal Injury Evaluation*
                    Personnel Security/Security Clearance Evaluation 
                      and Reevaluation Associated with National 
                      Security Clearance matters
                    Personnel Screening & Fitness for Duty Assessment*
                    Police/Penal/Security Officer Psychology Evaluation
                    Post-Conviction Evaluation for Parole/Probation
                      Determination*
                    Psychological Injuries Assessment
                    Psychological Profiling*
                    Psychologist Vulnerability Assessment* (i.e., Bases for
                      Challenge of Evaluation Conducted by Other Mental
                      Health Professionals*
                    Sentencing*
                    Sexual Offender Evaluation and Offender Risk
                     Assessment*
                    Voluntariness of 'Confessions'*

     Dr. Stone has been qualified as an expert witness in state-level courts in a large number of states as well as in U.S. Federal Courts. Many of Dr. Stone’s publications pertain to topics, subject material and matters that are directly related to a number of the just previously listed forensic psychology services he routinely provides; hence his expertise status, with respect to these services, can be bolstered and strongly documented because of his having published scientific articles that relate to such subject matter concerns. His status of being highly-published in his behavioral science discipline, makes it much easier for him, according to the recent Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. guidelines for screening the admissibility of scientific evidence, established by the Supreme Court, to be successfully recognized, in court, as a fully-acceptable expert witness.

     In the past few years, Dr. Stone has been selected by attorneys, located in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, to conduct psychological evaluations of their clients, regarding psychological fitness with respect to the granting and holding of high-level governmental security clearances. The subject individuals in these psychological evaluations have been involved in employment disputes with governmental intelligence agencies as well as the Dept. of Defense.

     It should be noted that although many psychologists present themselves as offering forensic psychology services, along with their other professional offerings that mainly pertain to non-forensic psychology matters, they really have never had formal education/training specifically involving forensic psychology issues, nor do they possess credentials or documentations specifically supportive of any type of forensic psychology practice. For example, there are a number of tests or psychological instrumentations that are used only within the practice of forensic psychology. Only rarely do non-forensic psychologists make use of such tools as most of these psychologists generally are totally unaware of the existence of such instrumentations. Having frequently testified in courtroom situations for almost 35 years, has rendered Dr. Stone to be a highly seasoned veteran in courtroom, deposition-taking, and trial practices. He is well-equipped to handle hostile cross-examination and such challenges. When one requires the services of a professional psychologist, it is indeed a wise decision to exclusively utilize the services of a psychologist who holds Diplomate status from the ABPP in his/her psychological specialty.  The reader of this 'brochure' should be aware that Diplomate status, granted by the ABPP, is the only speciality diplomate in psychology recognized by the American Psychological Association, in their membership directories.  Presently, there are several fraudulent suppliers of psychology speciality diplomate credentials that actually "are not worth the paper they are printed on."  On this latter matter, the reader of this brochure is urged to 'click on' to the Beware of Experts from Diploma Mills section listed on Dr. Stone's home/index page.

FEE STRUCTURE: Fees can be based on an hourly rate, for a single day’s professional involvement, or can be negotiated for a particular tasking. References, as well as copies of Dr. Stone’s curriculum vitae, can be provided upon request. Inquiries are especially welcome from within the Mid-Atlantic region, but also nationally.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: LeRoy A. Stone, Ph.D., ABFP & ABPP
                                                             Forensic Clinical Psychologist
                                                             P.O. Box 395
                                                             Harpers Ferry, WV 25425-0395

Tel: (304) 535-2332; Fax number given on request 
Email:  lastone2@earthlink.net