Bernard L. Diamond
Encyclopedia
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. He is primarily known for his contribution to what is known as forensic psychiatry
Forensic psychiatry
Forensic psychiatry is a sub-speciality of psychiatry and an auxiliar science of criminology. It encompasses the interface between law and psychiatry...
. He was an expert witness for the defense in many well known trials, most notably the trial of Sirhan Sirhan
Sirhan Sirhan
Sirhan Bishara Sirhan is a Jordanian citizen who was convicted for the assassination of United States Senator Robert F. Kennedy. He is serving a life sentence at Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga, California.Sirhan was a Christian Arab born in Jerusalem who strongly opposed Israel...
, the killer of Robert Kennedy. The defense based much of their case on Diamond's testimony that Sirhan was suffering from diminished capacity
Diminished Capacity
Diminished Capacity is a comedy film directed by Terry Kinney and starring Matthew Broderick, Virginia Madsen, and Alan Alda. It was released at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and opened in theaters in July 2008...
at the time that he fired the deadly shots.
Due to his significant place in the Sirhan Sirhan trial, he figures prominently into a number of conspiracy theories
Conspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
regarding Robert Kennedy.
External links
- Description of Diamond's approach to Forensic Psychiatry
- UC Berkeley memorium page dedicated to Dr. Bernard Diamond
Further reading
- Kaiser, Robert Blair. "R.F.K. Must Die!": A History of the Robert Kennedy Assassination and Its Aftermath. New York: E.P. Dutton & Co, Inc. 1970.
- Turner, William V., and John G. Christian. The Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy: A Searching Look at the Conspiracy and Cover-up 1968-1978. New York: Random House, 1978.
- Diamond, Bernard L. The Psychiatrist in the Courtroom: Selected Papers of Bernard L. Diamond, M.D.. Analytic Press, 1994