James Grigson

Who was James Grigson?

James Grigson, known as "Doctor Death", was a Texas forensic psychiatrist who testified in 167 capital trials, nearly all of which resulted in death sentences.

Grigson made a name for himself as a testifying expert for the prosecution in capital cases. Under Texas law, for death to be imposed the jury must believe the defendant not only to be guilty of the crime charged, but certain to commit additional violent crimes if not put to death. In almost every case Grigson testified that the defendant was an incurable sociopath who was "one hundred per cent certain" to kill again.

In 1995 Grigson was expelled by the American Psychiatric Association and the Texas Society of Psychiatric Physicians for unethical conduct, the APA stating that Grigson had violated the organization's ethics code by "arriving at a psychiatric diagnosis without first having examined the individuals in question, and for indicating, while testifying in court as an expert witness, that he could predict with 100 per cent certainty that the individuals would engage in future violent acts". Grigson unsuccessfully sued the APA to block his expulsion.