KAREN FRANKLIN, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist in the San Francisco Bay Area and an instructor at the California School of Professional Psychology (Alliant International University). She specializes in the evaluation and treatment of criminal defendants.
A former criminal investigator and legal affairs reporter, Dr. Franklin has extensive specialized training in forensic psychology and has been retained as an expert to examine a wide range of criminal and civil forensic topics. She has testified in multiple jurisdictions in California, Washington, Idaho, and Utah. She serves on several court-appointed expert panels in Northern California and conducts risk assessment evaluations of Mentally Disordered Offenders (MDO's) for the State of California.
Dr. Franklin has also conducted award-winning research on the psychosocial motivations of hate crime offenders. Her peer-reviewed publications have appeared in scholarly journals including the American Behavioral Scientist, the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, the Encyclopedia of Violence, the Encyclopedia of Criminology, and the Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice.
ServicesDiagnostic Assessment
Court-Ordered Evaluation
Expert Witness Testimony
Juveniles and Adults
Areas of ExpertiseCompetency to Stand trial
Criminal Responsibility / Sanity
Violence Risk
Sex Offender Risk
Confessions & Interrogative Suggestibility
Capital Homicide Mitigation (pretrial & habeas)