A judge will rule on whether defense attorneys can hire an expert on
false confessions for the March trial of Frederick Anthony Robinson, an Apollo, PA, man who is accused
of setting a house fire that killed four people. Attorney Chuck Pascal wants a forensic psychology expert to explain to a
jury the pathology of false confessions. The expert would discuss "why
people may falsely confess, how mental illness impacts that or may impact that," Pascal said.
Psychiatrists have diagnosed Robinson with schizoaffective disorder and say he has a history of psychiatric disorders and low intelligence. The expert, Allison D. Redlich of New York, is nationally known in the field and has agreed to testify next month on Robinson's behalf.
Excerpted from PIttsburghTribune.com.
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