Friday, December 4, 2009

Copy of Declaration For Independent Psychological Evaluation

From:
To:
Subject: Declaration For Independent Psychological Evaluation
Date: Fri, 4 Dec 2009 14:42:32 -0800

My name is Cameo Garrett and I am over the age of 18 and qualified to give the following statement:

That I believe I am entitled to an independent psychological evaluation, paid for with public defense funds.

In this case, where I was alleged to be "severely mentally ill" I was also made to go without a public defender for one full year. At the state rate of $90/hr. for public defense, this county or state has made a savings of $76,400 if we are to allow at least 20 hours a week for the entire year in which I had no defense and no public funds to assist me.

If we are to say a public defense attorney wouldn't have put in more than 10 hours a week on my case, or lower the rate slightly, if we cut it in half, it is still a savings of over $38,000.

A savings which, if I am correct, has gone directly to the prosecution to support their aggressive campaign against me. I have been told by state workers that never in the history of the state has as much money been spent on a case as has been spent on MY case. However, the expenditure has all gone into the pockets of those trying to fight me and make a case against me. In the meantime, money which should have been used to give me some kind of support, went directly to the other side which has outnumbered me from the start, lied about me, and sought aggressively to prevent me from proving they are wrong at all, or lying.

With such a great savings, I should think the least the state could do is to provide me with monies for a thorough independent psychological evaluation for my defense, and in fact, anything else we should feel is necessary to clear my name, eliminate concern about "risk" and reunite the mother with the son as quickly as possible.

I should think the money used by the state has gone in the wrong direction. A security guard has been paid for, to be present at each visit, when it has been absolutely unnecessary and then the state wants to keep me from being able to prove they lie that I ever am "harassing" by blocking me from audio recording anything.

Because this case hinges on whether I am mentally ill or not, and whether I am a "risk" to my son or not, and because the evaluation that came back was done in such haste and without allowing me an opportunity to respond to materials the state submitted later, given the fact my MMPI and other tests are absolutely normal, and that I am in complete disagreement about the "suggestions", it is reasonable to request and receive an independent evaluation. It is a necessary and crucial item for my defense.

The state has deprived me of over possibly $78,000 in public defense fund assistance. I should think, it can now afford to spend some money on increased visitation and a proper allowance for my defense, before my and my son's civil rights are further damaged, and before my son and I have to suffer any longer for decisions which the state made which they should bear full responsibility and cost for. The state proposed "dismissing" this case against me in the first 3 months of having taken my son from me, and they should have followed through with this idea. Instead, they used illegal means to secure their own arguments, and deprive me of the ability to fairly respond and defend.

The proposed psychologist is a man who knows some family history who is from the Bellingham, Washington area. He is neither contracted with, nor is he typcially paid by the state for psychological evaluations so this will eliminate a general conflict of interest or bias.

Thank you,

Cameo Garrett

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Did you run this declaration by your lawyer and did/she state whether it was a good idea?

Mama said...

what's not to like?

Anonymous said...

You comment concerns me, greatly! It's not a matter of liking or not liking it, it's a matter of protecting your interests in the case. Regardless of WHAT you write, you should run everything by your attorney, in the event what you submit could hurt your case. And you don't know because you are not an attorney. I am not wanting to condescend, but we go to school for a very long time for legal training, and with practice in a specific area in a specific region, know how to conduct a case. One who is not trained, lacks the proper procedural know-how, and that's why people hire lawyers to help; that's why there is the old maxim: a lawyer who hires himself has a fool for a client. I think you are intelligent, and think you believe what you are doing is the right thing, however, it's always a good idea to run it by one's attorney to ensure it will end up in your long term best interest. Look before you leap. And the only to look properly, in legal proceedings, is through the eyes of a lawyer. Hey, I wouldn't go to a mechanic for brain surgery...