Sentencing and resentencing often turn on a life the court cannot see without help — the trauma, adversity, and circumstances that shaped the path to the conduct at issue. A forensic psychological mitigation evaluation gives the court a structured, independent account of that history, grounded in the record, in testing, and in the empirical literature.

Dr. Maddux prepares mitigation evaluations that go beyond a single conclusion. He addresses the developmental and situational factors bearing on culpability — adverse childhood experiences, trauma, treatment history, and the circumstances surrounding the offense — and communicates them in terms a non-specialist audience can weigh. Where relevant, he also addresses questions of risk with the same rigor: not merely whether risk is high or low, but its nature, imminence, and manageability.

These evaluations are relevant across a range of matters, including sentencing and resentencing, juvenile and youthful-offender proceedings, and applications under the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act. Each is prepared to withstand cross-examination and Rule 702 scrutiny.

Contact Dr. Maddux to discuss a mitigation matter and current availability.