Sentencing Consultants Consultants: 6

Teo Ernst, PsyD, ABPP, is a Clinical Psychologist licensed in California. He is board certified in forensic psychology, a fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Psychology, and an Assistant Clinical Professor in the UCSF Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Ernst received a PsyD (Doctor of Clinical Psychology) from the Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA. He completed his doctoral internship at Napa State Hospital and his postdoctoral fellowship at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs/UCSF Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Substance Abuse Program. Clinical Experience - Dr. Ernst has experience working with a rich and diverse range of ethnic and socioeconomic groups, religions, and sexual orientations. Past clinical experiences include college counseling, community mental health, inpatient psychiatric treatment, crisis work, and VA treatment. In addition to private practice, he currently teaches family therapy part-time at UCSF, as a voluntary clinical faculty member.

Areas of Interest and Experience:

• Trauma, neglect, and posttraumatic stress disorder
• Couples’ difficulties (e.g. poor communication, arguments, infidelity, difficulties with intimacy, trouble negotiating needs, jealousy)
• Mood issues (e.g. depression, bipolar disorder, sadness, lack of pleasure)
• Anxiety issues (e.g. fear of public speaking, excessive worrying, panic attacks.)
• Challenges in relationships and intimacy (e.g. trust issues, divorce, difficulty becoming close, fear of rejection, sexual issues)
• Work difficulties (e.g. procrastination, anxiety with colleagues and seniors, lack of direction, difficulty presenting)
• Personal growth (e.g. resolving childhood issues, increasing self-awareness, improving self-esteem, defining values)

Presentations and Seminars - Dr. Ernst provides delivers presentations for organizations including the San Francisco Bar Association, UCSF, the First District Court of Appeals, and many others. Selected topics include:

• Coping with the Emotional Toll of Legal Practice
• Managing Challenging Personalities: A Fiduciaries’ Practice GuideManaging Challenging Personalities: A Fiduciaries’ Practice Guide
• Strategies for Working Effectively in Legal Practice with Mental Illness
• Client Control, Family Dynamics, and Competency in Estate Planning

View Dr. Ernst's Expert Witness Profile.

Expertise: Specializing in applications of clinical psychiatry to legal issues in civil and criminal matters at the interface of Psychiatry and the Law. Has served as an evaluator or expert witness in about three hundred cases in State and Federal courts in matters relating to:

Professional Background: Certified by ABPN in Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry. Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Director of Psychiatry and Law Program at MCP Hahanemann University. Director of Psychiatry & Law Program and Director of Correctional Mental Health Services Program/Provider of Mental Health Services for the City of Philadelphia Prison System. Formerly Director of Psychiatry & Law Program at the Medical College of Virginia. M.D. Degree -University of Massachusetts. Psychiatry Residency & Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship -Tulane University Medical Center.

Victor Lofgreen, PhD has over 30 years of experience and education in the fields of Corrections and Community Development. He is a prison and jail consultant who conducts cases analysis and develops reports to support litigation on prison and jail issues. Experience - Dr. Lofgreen has served as the CEO of a State Adult Correctional Institution and the Division Chief of a State Planning Agency for Corrections. He has authored numerous professional papers and articles on topics within his area of expertise as well as Agency Policy and Procedure Manuals and training materials. Litigation Support - Dr. Lofgreen's expertise is in Jail and Prison Policy and Procedures related to the standard of care for inmates by local, State, and Federal correctional agencies. His services are available to counsel representing plaintiff and defendant and include case review, case study and data analysis, report of Expert Opinion based on the evidence included in the case study, deposition, and trial testimony as needed. Areas of Expertise:

Mustafa A. Mufti, MD, is a board certified general Adult Psychiatrist and Forensic Psychiatrist.  Presently, he serves as the Director of the Psychiatry Residency Training Program at Chrisitiana Care.  Prior to this he served as the Clinical Director of Forensic Services at Delaware Psychiatric Center.   During his time as the Clinical Director of Forensic Services, he oversaw Delaware’s only maximum-security forensic psychiatric service center. 

After graduating from medical school, Dr. Mufti worked as a clinical researcher at Emory University School of Medicine. As a researcher he worked on studies related to post traumatic stress disorder, depression and cardiovascular disease, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and deep brain stimulation. 

Dr. Mufti completed his residency training at the Delaware Psychiatric Center and went on to complete a fellowship in forensic psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. His work has been published in numerous reputable journals and he has presented at conferences nationally and internationally. In addition to his clinical and administrative responsibilities, Dr. Mufti is actively involved in the teaching of medical students, future psychiatrists, and forensic fellows in training.

Legislative Experience - From May 2016 to December 2020, Dr. Mufti received confirmation by Delaware Senate to serve a three-year term, as Advisory council to the Governor on all matters related to the provision of inmate healthcare services, and review all statistics related to the inmate healthcare. In June of 2019, Dr. Mufti assisted in drafting the amendments to ACHRC House Bill 173.

Training Experience:

• Mental Health Credentialed Screener Training, Delaware Health and Social Services/Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and
  Mental Health, January 2019
• Mental Health Credentialed Screener Training, Delaware Health and Social Services/Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, January 2020
• Mental Health Defenses in Delaware, Criminal Law Section of the Delaware Bar Association, February 2020

View Dr. Mustafa A. Mufti's Expert Witness Profile.

Steven Gaskell, Psy.D. is a Forensic Psychologist, license eligible in all 50 states, and licened in Illinois, Georgia, Florida, and Kansas. He has years of extensive experience providing a variety of Forensic Psychological Evaluations and testifying regarding a variety of legal issues. Dr. Gaskell has completed more than 2000 Forensic Psychological Assessments including over 1000 pre-trial Competency to Stand Trial or Fitness to Stand Trial and Criminal Responsibility (Insanity Defense) psychological evaluations and he has provided expert testimony these issues on numerous occasions. Competency to Stand Trial/ Fitness to Stand Trial Criminal Responsibility or Sanity at the Time of the Offense Mitigating Factors Assessment Miranda Rights Issues (voluntariness, competency to confess, interrogative suggestibility) Malingering and Deception Sexual Assault Allegations Sex Offender Evaluations Sexually Violent Person Evaluations Pedophilia Paraphilias Future Likelihood of Sexual Re-Offense

Emin Gharibian, PsyD, is a Clinical Psychologist specializing in Forensic Psychology and Neuropsychology with over 10 years of experience in assessing, treating, and consulting on psychological disorders.

Dr. Gharibian's training and experience have been in psychological and neuropsychological assessments in a variety of clinical settings including private practice, outpatient mental health clinics, psychiatric hospitals, forensic hospitals, and correctional facilities. 

He specializes in providing comprehensive psychological and neuropsychological evaluations for various conditions including dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, complications from a stroke, traumatic brain injury, concussions, learning disabilities, ADHD, and PTSD.

He also specializes in forensic psychological and neuropsychological evaluations for immigration hearings, mental health diversion and mitigation, testamentary capacity, competency to stand trial, personal injury, worker's compensation, and fitness for duty. He provides consultation services to personal injury and worker's compensation attorneys on psychological and neuropsychological-related matters.  He has also testified as an expert and served as a consultant for the defense and prosecution in state and federal court.

In addition to his private practice, he is a forensic psychologist for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He conducts psychological evaluations to evaluate patients for violence risk and determine if they meet the criteria to be committed to a state hospital, write court reports, and testify in court as an expert witness.

Dr. Gharibian has been appointed to the Los Angeles Juvenile Court Expert Witness Panel. He is also a member of the National Academy of Neuropsychology and the American Psychology and Law Society.

Areas of Forensic Expertise: