Honesty, Integrity, and Sound Science
Dr. Aaron Pierce:
Nationally Recognized Forensic Mental Health Consultant and Expert Witness
- Primary Location
Dallas, Texas
- Consultation
1+ 469.882.4454
Aaron Pierce, Ph.D
Trusted and Experienced Forensic Mental Health Expert
Dr. Pierce is a nationally recognized expert in forensic mental health matters — both practicing and teaching in the field. His expertise as a licensed clinician and professor proves invaluable to attorneys who turn to him for their toughest cases — seeking his testimony and advice on false allegations of sexual abuse, false confessions, forensic interviewing protocols, and eyewitness credibility.
As a clinician, Dr. Pierce provides risk and mitigation assessments of sexual and violent offenders. Attorneys know that Dr. Pierce’s effective and comprehensive work is the cornerstone of case analysis and preparation that demonstrates that the attorney provided the most effective legal representation possible.
Dr. Pierce’s mastery of the scientific literature on sexual offenders and victims of sexual abuse makes him a formidable ally in the courtroom as well as a trusted advisor to the State. He currently serves as the Chair of the Texas Council on Sex Offender Treatment appointed by two governors in 2005, 2011, and 2017. The Council creates the rules and standards of practice for treating and evaluating sexual offenders and is the sole licensing agency for sex offender treatment providers.
Services Offered
Risk And Mitigation Assessments
Dr. Pierce evaluates the level of risk your client poses to the community. If your client poses low risk, Dr. Pierce's report and testimony can often be used in mitigation to obtain the most favorable sentence. Likewise in plea negotiations.
Even if your client is high risk, having a report from Dr. Pierce in your file helps to demonstrate that you worked to provide effective counsel to your client.
False Allegations of Sexual Abuse
Dr. Pierce overlays all relevant scientific literature regarding false allegations onto the case facts and defense theories to see if there is any alignment that, if known to the jury, would assist them in making proper decisions.
He provides testimony about his findings and will provide a statement regarding them for counsel's file, if requested.
Police Interrogation Methods and False Confessions
Dr. Pierce analyzes interrogation videos to determine if any methods were used that increase the probability of obtaining a false confession.
He evaluates your client for personal factors which can influence a person to admit to a crime they did not commit.
Forensic Interview Evaluation
Dr. Pierce routinely reviews forensic interview videos to assess whether the integrity of the interview was compromised or if improper interview techniques were used.
His testimony on this subject — and evaluation of opposing counsel's experts' qualifications and testimony — will ensure the fact-finder hears the truth.
Eyewitness Accuracy
Dr. Pierce analyzes the factors, whether environmental or personal, present during eyewitness identification.
Dr. Pierce is well-versed in the scientific literature pertaining to memory and the ability to encode and recall information, particularly while under varying levels of distress and how it may impact an individual’s ability to make an accurate identification.
Deregistration Evaluation
During the 79th regular session of the Texas legislature, House Bill 867 was passed adding subchapter I, Articles 62.401 to 62.408 to the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. This created a process through which registered sex offenders with one eligible conviction may petition the state to be removed from the Texas registry. This process includes being assessed by a deregistration evaluation specialist.
Dr. Pierce is one of only 22 licensed clinicians authorized to conduct deregistration evaluations in the State of Texas.
Professional Training
Dr. Pierce presents trainings for lawyers, judges, counselors, psychologists, forensic interviewers, probation departments, state and federal supervision officers, and polygraph examiners.
He offers trainings on sex offender assessment and treatment, false allegations of sexual abuse, false confessions, victims of abuse, and a number of other topics. Dr. Pierce’s trainings are generally approved for credit by all of Texas’ licensing boards and those of other states.
Student Internships
Dr. Pierce has a forensic psychology internship in his private practice and accepts 2–3 interns per quarter. Interns shadow Dr. Pierce when he consults with attorneys, testifies in court, conducts evaluations, reviews interrogation and forensic interview videos, and provides treatment services to a forensic population.
Interested students may contact Dr. Pierce for additional information and to learn the qualification requirements. Note: This is a non-paid internship program, but is generally accepted by most universities for fulfilling practicum and internship course requirements.
Specializing in Mental Health issues and Sexual Assaults, Dallas and Collin Counties, Texas