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Expert
Witness:
Bilingual and Bicultural Forensic Psychologist
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Forensic
Psychology has been defined as the interaction of Psychology and the
Law. As a Cross-cultural Forensic Psychologist, Dr. LaCalle
deals with psychological and
cultural issues of Hispanics involved in legal
proceedings.
Dr.
LaCalle is a Hispanic forensic psychologist, licensed as a
psychologist with the State of California since 1973,and a Diplomate in
Clinical Psychology since 1979. In the past 33 years of Clinical and
Forensic Practice, he has performed over 8000 evaluations; of those over
3500 Forensic in nature, including
over 1000 Criminal Law evaluations of Hispanic defendants accused of
violent crimes and murder. He has expertise in death penalty cases and
sex crimes. In addition, he was retained in over 1000 civil cases:
personal injury, wrongful death, malpractice, discrimination, false claims
for Workers Compensation benefits, and others. |
Dr. LaCalle has lived all his life in a multi-cultural environment. Born
in the Basque region of Spain, near the border with France, he was
influenced by Basque, Spanish and French cultures. He lived
and
worked in Mexico before he immigrated to the United States in 1965.
He lived and worked with Cubans and Latin-Americans in Florida,
Puerto Ricans in New York, Mexicans and other Latin-Americans in California. He has conducted extensive studies and research
regarding criminal and violent sexual behaviors, mostly in the
Hispanic communities. Associated with highly regarded
professional organizations, he has presented papers, workshops and seminars, in United States, Canada, Spain and Latin America |
He is knowledgeable regarding many sub-cultures in Latin America,with their local traditions and religious beliefs. He has had the
opportunity to study esoteric beliefs and practices such as
Curanderismo, Santeria, Paleria , Shamanism and Candomble.
Besides living and working in Mexico for three years in the early 60s,
Dr. LaCalle has traveled extensively throughout the Mexican Republic,
not only vacationing in Mexico, which he and his wife do frequently,
but also in connection with his forensic work doing cross-cultural
research in many areas of Mexico. He also has visited and worked
in most of the Latin American countries were he is frequently invited to give conferences and workshops at Professional gatherings and
Universities.
His clinical experience is both extensive and diversified. Over the years, he has worked in institutional settings, such as the Psychiatry
Department of the University of California in San Diego where he
was a bilingual therapist for their Spanish-speaking patients. Later
he worked for UCSD included two years in an experimental methadone
program for hardcore heroin addicts. For five years he worked for
the Mental Health Department of Orange County, California as a
bilingual psychologist where, in addition to clinical work, he was
involved in community programs with the Spanish-speaking
population. In the private sector, he had the opportunity to work in
several inpatient facilities, such as Canyon General Hospital and
St. Joseph's Hospital in Orange County. |
Over the years, his clinical practice has included individual
psychotherapy, couples therapy, marriage and divorce
counseling, assessment of learning disability, mental
retardation, assessment and treatment of psychosexual
dysfunctions, child abuse and child molest, incest, alcohol
and drug abuse. His most extensive experience is in the
field of psychological evaluations, personality assessment,
intelligence testing and cross-cultural assessments.
Drawing on his solid professional knowledge and 33 years of clinical practice,
Dr. LaCalle addresses psychological
and socio-cultural issues of Hispanic Defendants,
Plaintiffs, or
Hispanics otherwise involved in legal cases. Over his long professional
life,
he has worked in many areas (listed below) of forensic psychology
and with a variety
of clients, including Hispanics, Anglo-Saxons,
Blacks, Orientals and other minorities
In recent years he has
concentrated his work with Hispanics accused of
death
penalty crimes, murder and notorious
sex crimes,
and involved in civil litigation such wrongful death, malingering, medical
malpractice, and personal injury, when
cultural issues are of relevance.Dr. LaCalle has worked on over 3500 forensic
psychology cases in the following areas:
- Capital (aggravated) murder
- Federal Capital Habeas
- Felony murder and other homicides
- Wrongful death and injury
- Personal Injury (both Defense and Plaintiff)
- Malpractice Issues
- Attempted murder and aggravated assaults
- Torture, sadomasochistic crimes
- Rape, kidnapping, sexual assaults
- Child abuse and child molestation
- Child pornography
- Gang related crimes
- Drug trafficking and other drug related crimes
- Juvenile Crimes
- Family violence, spousal abuse
- Alcohol and drug abuse
- Family Law
- Competency evaluations
- Insanity evaluations
- Dangerousness
- Recidivism
- Workers Compensation
- Social Security Evaluations
- Immigration Evaluations
- Probate Evaluations
- Violence in the work place
- Job discrimination
- Sexual harassment
At the present time, Dr. LaCalle concentrates his forensic practice in
these areas:
Criminal: Death penalty
Aggravated murders
Felony murders
Notorious sex crimes by Hispanics
Civil: Wrongful death
Malpractice
Discrimination
Selected Personal
Injury cases
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PROFESSIONAL
SERVICES 
