About Dr. Kafka


Dr. Kafka is a licensed forensic psychologist in California (PSY24026) with over 10 years of experience conducting forensic evaluations and providing expert witness testimony. Her areas of expertise include assessment of criminal responsibility, violence risk, sexual violence risk, suitability for community placement/treatment (including mental health diversion programs), and competency to stand trial, as well as creation of psychosocial profiles for the purposes of Franklin proceedings, sentence mitigation, and other legal matters.

Dr. Kafka is passionate about elevating the quality of forensic evaluations provided to attorneys and the courts and enjoys training other mental health professionals in forensic evaluation and report writing, as well as in providing expert witness testimony. She is currently a lecturer within the Forensic Psychology Certificate program at San Diego State University Global Campus, teaching these topics to students from a variety of backgrounds. She also enjoys training and consulting with attorneys to help them identify the strengths and weaknesses of forensic psychological and psychiatric reports brought before the court.

 Experience


Dr. Kafka has conducted thousands of evaluations on issues relating to criminal responsibility, competency to stand trial, suitability for community treatment programs, psychosocial profiles, sentence mitigation, violence risk, and sexual violence risk. Through this work, she has gained a robust understanding of the applicable legal codes and case law, as well as the necessary elements of evaluations for the courts. She has testified numerous times as an expert witness for both the defense and the prosecution, helped guide attorneys in cross-examination of other experts, and been entrusted with high profile cases. In addition, she has supervised the work of other evaluators and provided training in forensic evaluation and treatment, forensic report writing, and expert witness testimony. Click here to view Dr. Kafka's curriculum vitae.

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 Notable Clients and Associations:


 
  • Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office

  • Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office

  • Los Angeles County Alternate Public Defender’s Office

  • Orange County Court 

  • Riverside County Court

  • San Bernardino County Court

  • Solano County Office of the Public Defender

  • Marin County District Attorney’s Office

  • The Rodriguez Law Group

  • Ninth Judicial Circuit of Florida Public Defender’s Office

  • State of Minnesota Department of Human Services, Minnesota Sex Offender Program

  • Gateways Hospital and Mental Health Center Conditional Release Program

  • California Department of State Hospitals, Forensic Services Division

  • San Diego State University Global Campus

  • Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic

  • Forensic Mental Health Association of California

  • American Psychological Association

  • American Psychology-Law Society