He had not been visible for the better part of a decade, but the reputation of Dr. James Grigson lingered long after he last testified in a capital murder trial. In truth, it lingers still -- two weeks after his death from cancer at 72.
Grigson once was known to every district attorney and most of the better criminal defense lawyers in the state. In the 1980s and early '90s, he was praised, reviled, criticized, reprimanded and relied on as no other forensic psychiatrist in state history.
Nicknamed "Dr. Death" for his willingness to testify against capital murder defendants, Grigson was a witness in hundreds of death penalty cases. His pleasant manner, down-to-earth vocabulary and air of certainty helped persuade juries that the defendant -- just about every defendant -- would kill again if given the chance. That Grigson often had not met with the defendant did not deter him from forming an opinion about him and defending it to the hilt.
"He had a tremendous impact on Texas death penalty litigation," said Cynthia Orr, president of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. "He really provided ammunition to the state to try and establish one's future dangerousness when ordinarily it would have been pretty tough to do. He was willing to go further than anyone else."
The rest at: http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2631572
===== " How come people always flip and think they're Jesus? Why not Buddha? Particularly in America, where more people resemble Buddha than Jesus. 'Ah'm BUDDHA!' 'You're Bubba!' 'Ah'm Buddha now..All I gotta do is change 3 letters on ma belt...' " - Bill Hicks