Forensic Psychologist, Attorney Consultant

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

Dr. Craig Wetterer is a seasoned forensic psychologist and attorney whose cross-disciplinary expertise brings unparalleled clarity to complex psycholegal questions. With extensive experience conducting high-stakes competency, criminal responsibility, and violence risk evaluations across Nevada and California, Dr. Wetterer provides courts with precise, evidence-driven analyses grounded in both psychological science and legal reasoning. His background as a practicing attorney since 2007 uniquely positions him to interpret clinical findings within the procedural and constitutional frameworks that govern criminal and civil litigation. Dr. Wetterer has conducted hundreds of court-ordered evaluations, including competency to stand trial, mental health diversion, insanity defense, diminished capacity, and risk assessments for violent and sexual offenses. His expertise extends to differentiating genuine mental illness from malingering, parsing complex relationships between chronic psychiatric conditions and substance-induced states, and evaluating decision-making capacity in justice-involved populations. As a clinical forensic psychologist, he integrates diagnostic assessment, structured professional judgment measures, behavioral evidence, and statutory criteria to deliver clear, defensible opinions. His training in psychopharmacology and his ongoing advancement toward prescribing psychologist status provide a sophisticated understanding of medication effects on cognition, behavior, and criminal responsibility. This specialty allows him to opine on medication adherence, intoxication versus therapeutic response, drug-induced psychosis, and the interaction between psychiatric symptoms and pharmacologic treatment. In addition to his clinical and forensic practice, Dr. Wetterer is a professor of health sciences and psychology, where he teaches psychopharmacology, assessment, adult psychopathology, and psychometrics at the graduate level. He has served as a consultant on complex forensic matters, including multi-defendant cases, homicide evaluations, and cross-state competency proceedings. His reports are known for their clarity, meticulous structure, and integration of behavioral evidence with statutory analysis. He is trusted by both prosecution and defense for his balanced, scientifically grounded approach. Dr. Wetterer’s expertise is frequently sought for cases involving severe mental illness, malingering and feigned psychopathology, PTSD, impulse control disorders, neurocognitive impairment, and the psychological impact of trauma. He is also experienced in evaluating threat behavior, stalking, domestic violence dynamics, and long-term risk related to personality pathology and substance use. Having spent 28 years in law enforcement as a sworn police officer, he brings a deep operational understanding of the criminal justice system, threat dynamics, and real-world behavioral risk. This background enhances his ability to interpret behavioral evidence, contextualize risk, and conduct evaluations that reflect both clinical precision and practical insight. His work emphasizes thoroughness, fairness, and an unwavering commitment to objective forensic practice.