LEWIS YABLONSKY, Ph.D.
PROFESSOR*LEGAL-CONSULTANT/EXPERT-WITNESS
*PSYCHOTHERAPIST*CRIMINOLOGIST*AUTHOR
2311 4th St. Suite 312, Santa Monica, Ca. 90405
Phone & Fax (310) 450-3697.
E-Mail: expertwitness@lewyablonsky.com
Website: http://www.lewyablonsky.com
Updated 2/20/2005
In 2000 I was honored to receive THE AMERICAN SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATIONíS-SOCIOLOGICAL PRACTICE SECTIONíS, ìWilliam Foote Whyte Distinguished Career Award for Sociological Practice.î
The plaque I received states: ìPRESENTED TO LEWIS YABLONSKY, Ph.D. FOR OUTSTANDING
APPLICATION OF SOCIOLOGICAL EXPERTISE TO THE AREAS OF LAW, CRIMINOLOGY, AND THERAPEUTIC
COMMUNITIES.î
On January 25, 2001 received an HonoraryìDoctor of Laws" Degree from Grand Valley
(Michigan) State University. The Honorary Degree was recommended by the Board of
Trustees, the President, and the Criminal Justice Department of the University. The
preamble to the Degree stated in part:"In recognition of your distinguished
work nationally and internationally as a teacher. author, and scholar...and by serving
as an expert-witness in criminal trials you help others understand the dynamics of
criminal behavior.î
EDUCATIONAL & PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
RUTGERS UNIVERSITY, B.S. 1948 ; NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, Sociology and Criminology,
M.A. 1952, PH.D. 1958; CALIFORNIA LICENSED: MARRIAGE FAMILY THERAPIST (MFC 21997)
PROFESSORSHIPS IN SOCIOLOGY, CRIMINOLOGY, AND CRIMINAL
JUSTICE
1. 1963-Present. CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE, Professor of Sociology
and Criminology, (Chairperson 1964-1969, Emeritus 1994).
2. 1994-1996 TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-COMMERCE. Distinguished Professor of Sociology
and Criminal Justice.
3. 1961-1963 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES, Associate Professor of Sociology
.
4. 1958-1961 UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, Associate Professor of Sociology and Criminology
VISITING LECTURER AND PART-TIME TEACHING
1. 1952-1958 CITY COLLEGE of NEW YORK, Department of Sociology (Taught Criminology
to New York City Police Officers in a joint program with the NYPD);
2. 1956-1958; COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, Department of Sociology; (Taught courses in Criminology
and Social Deviance);
3. 1960-61 HARVARD UNIVERSITY, Department of Social Relations (Taught a course entitled
the "Social Psychology of Crime" and presented lectures on criminal and
legal issues in several special programs .)
BOOKS PUBLISHED
1. The Violent Gang (Macmillan 1962, Penguin 1966 and lrvington Press 198Nelson-Hall
3)
2. Synanon The Tunnel Back (Macmillan1965, Penguin 1967, Ernst Klett-German Edition)
3. The Hippie Trip (Pegasus 1968 and Penguin 1973).
4. Robopaths: People As Machines (Bobbs-Merrill 1972, Penguin,1973, Dutch and Japanese
Editions).
5. Crime and Delinquency (Rand-McNally, l970, 3rd Ed., (Houghton-Mifflin 1982)
6. Criminology, 4th Ed. (HarperCollins 1990) New Edition in process.
7. Juvenile Delinquency, 4th Ed. (HarperCollins,1988)
8. George Raft A Biography of Hollywood and Stardom, ( McGraw-Hill, l974; Mercury
Press 1989).
9. Psychodrama: Resolving Emotional Problems Through Role-Playing (Basic Books-HarperCollins1976,
Brunner/Mazel 1992, Translated into German, Italian, &Spanish).
10. The Extra Sex Factor (New York-Times Books 1979).
11. The Little League Game (New York-Times Books 1979).
12. Fathers and Sons (Simon and Schuster 1982, Fireside Press 1984, Gardner Press,
l990. Translated into German, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Czech and Portuguese Editions).
13. The Therapeutic Community: A Successful Approach For Treating Substance Abusers
(Gardner Press,1989 & Paperback1994, German and Italian Editions)
14. The Emotional Meaning of Money (Gardner Press 1991. Chinese & German Editions)
15. Gangsters: 50 Years of Madness, Drugs and Death on the Streets 0f America (New
York University Press 1997).
16. Juvenile Delinquency: Into the 21st Century. (Wadsworth Press, 2000.)
17. Gangs
In Court (Lawyers & Judges Publishers, 2005.)
18. Numerous articles published in professional journals on sociology, criminology
and criminal justice.
LECTURES AND PAPERS PRESENTED AT SOCIAL SCIENCE
CONFERENCES
I have presented over 200+ lectures and papers at various social science meetings
and conferences. Notable among these are the following: American Sociological Association
(Several Meetings); United Nations Conference on International Criminal Justice,
Crime, and Delinquency (London 1960); American Association for the Advancement of
Science (Philadelphia 1962); California Probation Officer's Association (San Diego
1965); American Psychiatric Association Meetings (Chicago 1965 and Toronto 1977);
International Congress of Group Psychotherapy (Amsterdam 1972); California District
Attorney's Association (San Diego 1976); World Federation of Therapeutic Communities
(Rome 1985); International Conference on Substance Abuse (Amsterdam 1986); Conference
of the California Attorney's For Criminal Justice (Monterey, 1988); European Conference
of Therapeutic Communities (Berlin, 1990); Conference on the Treatment of AIDS (Turin,
1991); Conference, Kethea Therapeutic Community (Athens, 1992); World Congress of
Psychotherapy, Keynote Speaker, (Vienna, 1996); American Society of Criminology (1997);
Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (l998); By invitation of the Italian Government,
Lecturing and Training mental health professionals working with AIDS/HIV patients
in 3 weeklong workshops in group psychotherapy and psychodrama method and theory
in the CTS therapeutic community in Torino. (1998). World Congress of Psychotherapy
(Vienna, 1999). Presented Lectures on "The
Role of a Gang Expert Witness in the Criminal Justice System" to the Los Angeles
County Bar Association (LA, 1998 &2002). Lecture to California Public Defenders
Association (Anaheim, 2001); American Sociological Association-Sociological Practice
Section (Anaheim, 2001). Lecture to law enforcement officers at the National Gang
Crime Research Center (Chicago, 2002). California Public Defenders Association (Monterey,
2004)
2. LEGAL CONSULTANT/EXPERT WITNESS ACTIVITY. My
research and experience over the past 50 years as a criminologist has involved me
in almost every facet of the American crime problem. My research into all aspects
of crime and delinquency, my therapeutic treatment of both criminals and juvenile
delinquents in prisons and psychiatric hospitals, the writing of numerous books-including
two widely adopted textbooks, my work in the field of crime prevention, and my role
as a professor at several major universities has provided me with a wide array of
knowledge that qualifies me for the role of legal consultant and expert witness in
the criminal justice system. In the context of this background and experience, I
have participated In the criminal justice system through aiding lawyers in the preparation
of testimony, given depositions, and testified in court as an expert witness in over 170+ judicial cases. Around 160 were gang
cases.
I have been approved as an Expert-Witness in over 160 cases on issues of violent
gangs, homicide, domestic violence, and business security in the Superior Courts
of: Los Angeles County; San Diego County; San Francisco County; Riverside County;
Ventura County; Sacramento County; San Jose County; Monterey County; San Joaquin
County-Stockton; Allegheny County-Pittsburgh, Pa.; Orange County; Pima County- Tucson,
Az; New York County; the United States District Court-Central District of California;
and the State of Florida Law Offices of The Capital Regional Counsel. Based on my background and experience in the Courts, The
Committee of Judges for the Los Angeles County Superior Courts has placed me on "The
Panel Of Experts" qualified to be appointed as an expert-witness in "Gangs/Criminology."
Following are some of the cases I have participated in as a legal-consultant and
expert-witness: A violent gang murder trial in New York County Court. Based on my
book THE VIOLENT GANG I testified on the structure and behavior of violent gangs;
Consulted In preparation of testimony related to a Hells Angels Gang murder; Testified
on the nature of gang behavior in a trial involving the first degree murder of a
gang member by another violent gang member in Hollywood; Consulted on a case related
to the value of security guards in a homicide incident in a community center; Participated
in a case related to the responsibility and liability of a Home Savings and Loan
bank in the robbery of a client outside the bank; Participated in a case involving
the legal responsibility of a shopping center corporation related to a gang youth
shot in front of an arcade in the mall by another gang member; Consulted and testified
in a case related to an insurance companies legal responsibility for a client's relative
involved in an accident that killed a woman. In particular, I have participated in
over 80 cases involving gang homicides and violence. A major aspect of this expert-witness
work is to determine who is a gang member in the context of Californiaís ìgang enhancement
lawî 186.22. In addition I have participated as an E-W in the Penalty Phase of 6
Death Penalty Cases.
3. SOME RESPONSES FROM ATTORNEYS TO MY WORK AS AN EXPERT- WITNESS.
(a) Notable in my overall work as an expert witness was my testimony in a landmark
case, known as the "Denney Case." Reginald Denny was one of eight victims
in a specific violent mob situation that occurred in the April 1992 Los Angeles Riots
that followed the court decision in the police-Rodney King case . I testified as
an expert witness for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office on various
sociological theories of collective behavior as they relate to the role and responsibility
of individual criminal acts in the context of mob riot behavior, in a rebuttal to
some assertions made by a defense witness in the case. About my participation in
this case, one of the Los Angeles County District Attorneys wrote me, in part: "Your
scholarly and articulate commentary from the witness stand helped to communicate
to the jury that people must be held accountable for their violent behavior in the
context of any kind of mob action. Your testimony was significant in the trial, and
was very helpful to the prosecution in obtaining the convictions we did and gaining
some measure of justice from these tragic events. The case resulted in a published
decision by the Court of Appeal, People v.Williams (1996) 46 Cal.App 4th 1767. I
look forward to using your services as an expert witness in this area if the subject
arises in another case."
(b) In December 1998 I was invited to present a lecture to the Los Angeles County
Bar Association on my work as a gang-expert witness. My presentation was well received
and I received the following letter from the Director of the Program. ìIn my position
as Director of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Indigent Criminal Defense,
Appointments (ICDA) Program, I am pleased to sincerely thank you for your excellent
presentation of your paper, ìThe Role of a Gang Expert-Witness in the Criminal Justice
Systemî to our group of some 200 lawyers at our 1998 Winter Seminar. Your lecture
was not only very interesting, it provided the attorneys present with some valuable
insights into the complex legal issues of gang behavior that attorneys around the
country increasingly have to deal with in gang court cases. As you cogently presented
in your lecture, there are many myths and biases about gang members that can significantly
affect the outcome of a jury's decision to either convict or acquit an indigent defendant.
Many of the ICDA attorneys who attended your lecture have expressed to me their appreciation
of your pedagogic insight into the behavior of gangs, and how this knowledge is useful
in the rendering of just decisions in the criminal justice system. I am sure that
many of the attorneys who attended the lecture, based on your extensive work as an
expert-witness, have already used the legal and sociological arguments that you effectively
articulated in their courtroom practice. We are most grateful for your articulate
and pragmatic contribution to the work of our ICDA attorneys, and look forward to
the possibility of a return lecture engagement sometime in the future.î Sincerely,
Gustavo Diaz, Director. On February 4, 2001 I presented a lecture on ìThe Role of
The Expert-Witness in Gang Casesî for the California Association of Public Defenders
in Anaheim.
(c) In 2000 I testified in several gang homicide cases regarding the participation
of several defendants in violent gang behavior. Notable among these cases [5/10/00]
was a youth charged with First-Degree Murder who, in my opinion, had no gang involvement,
and ìwas in the wrong place at the wrong time.î He had attended a wedding and was
given a ride home by two youths who were previously unknown to him. They were violent
gangsters who during the ride, spontaneously opened fire on a youth group, shot and
killed one person, and wounded 3 others. In my opinion the youth charged with a 187
offense was more of a witness than a perpetrator. Based, in part, on my testimony
he was acquitted on all charges. The attorney in the case wrote me as follows: ìI
am extremely pleased to report that Gerardo, his mother, his aunt, and I (as well
as a packed courtroom) listened to the clerk read 16 verdicts of "not guilty."
What a relief! The defendant needed Kleenex as he had tears running down his face.
He periodically looked at the jury and mouthed, "thank you." Mrs. A and
her sister were also in tears in the audience. The two shooters were convicted of
the most serious crimes across the board... Your name did come up in my short discussions
with some of the jurors in the hallway. There were two jurors - one-lady in the back
row and one man in the front row --who particularly liked you. They both said they
were going to go out and buy your "Gangster" book. They agreed with my
closing argument that the primary message that you brought to this trial was that
one had to look at the overall picture, not just the negative factors, in deciding
whether a person was a gangster. They felt that Detective A [the prosecutorís expert-witness]
had overreached in labeling Gerardo a gang member and your analysis was more thoughtful.
The front row juror-encouraged me to seek the removal of Gerardo's name from [the
California] law enforcement's gang-database. I told him I would indeed seek that
relief... I want to thank you for your hard work and intelligent courtroom presentation.
Your counsel was something I valued and you certainly assisted me in better representing
an innocent young man.î
PSYCHOTHERAPY TREATMENT AND TRAINING
POSITIONS
From1951-1953 I performed all facets of work as Youth Division Supervisor at
the Essex County New Jersey Juvenile House of Detention in treating juvenile delinquents
being held in custody, awaiting court disposition ; Also during this period, I directed
group psychotherapy and psychodrama groups with criminal/addicts at New York Cityís
Rikers Island Prison, and the Riverside Hospital for adolescent drug
addicts; From1965-1982 I was a Consultant and Trainer in group psychotherapy and
psychodrama methods to the psychotherapy staff at several California State Hospitals
located at Camarillo, Metropolitan State Hospital, and Atascadero State Hospital;
From1983-1994 I directed group psychotherapy and Psychodrama sessions with adolescent
and adult patients at VAN NUYS PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL, COLDWATER CANYON PSYCHIATRIC
HOSPITAL; and the C.P.C. WESTWOOD PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL where I was Director of Psychodrama
and Group Therapy Services from1985 to1990.
TRAINER AND CONSULTANT TO VARIOUS THERAPEUTIC-COMMUNITY PROJECTS
Since 1985. I have directed over 30 weeklong workshops on psychodrama and group psychotherapy
for mental health professionals at various correctional institutions, prisons, and
training institutes in the U.S., Europe and Japan. This type of training was directed
in Therapeutic Communities In Rome, Turin, Berlin and Athens. In 1994, by invitation,
I was a consultant to the Japan Ministry of Justice and gave lectures in Tokyo on
group methods for their Criminal Justice System. In l998, as previously indicated,
I was invited by the Italian Government to utilize psychodrama and group therapy
methods in the training of mental health professionals working with HIV/AIDS patients
in three weeklong workshops at the CTS therapeutic community in Turin, Italy.
Since 1990, I have been a consultant and directed group therapy and psychodrama sessions
for Amity Inc. with a variety of prisoners incarcerated in the California Department
of Corrections Donovan Prison in San Diego and Lancaster Prison; and the Texas Department
of Corrections prison in Beaumont, Texas. These projects involve special research
and a psychotherapeutic effort at resocializing several hundred inmates housed in
these prisons. The projects involves both ex-criminal and professional therapeutic
agents in a "therapeutic community" modality for rehabilitating offenders
in these prison programs.
COMMUNITY, RESEARCH AND CONSULTANT POSITIONS
l965-Present. CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF PSYCHODRAMA, LOS ANGELES President and Executive
Director This is an educational and consulting organization on the theory and practice
of psychodrama and group psychotherapy; 1949-l960. MORENO INSTITUTE, NEW YORK. Director
of Group Therapy Projects; l949-1950 NYU - GRADUATE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY Research
Associate in a five-year Juvenile Delinquency Research Project; 1958 ROCKEFELLER
BROTHERS ORGANIZATION Consultant. Prepared special reports analyzing the overall
delinquency problem in New York State for then candidate and later Governor of New
York, Nelson Rockefeller .
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
American Sociological Association; American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama
(President, l958); Authors League of America; The Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences;
and The American Society of Criminology. United States Navy (1943-1946).
TELEVISION PROGRAMS AND MEDIA ARTICLES
In1967 I was a consultant to Edward R. Murrow on a network gang delinquency program
produced by CBS, 'Who Killed Michael Farmer?-The Story of A Gang Killing" .
In l972, I Produced and Directed a psychodrama series for the PUBLIC BROADCASTING
SYSTEM entitled "The Family Game". It was shown on the PBS National network
of over 200 stations in 12 one hour TV programs. In the course of my career and book
publications, I have appeared on over 150 television programs discussing a variety
of criminology and social science issues related to my books. These programs include:
Mike Douglas, Steve Allen, William Buckley, Art Linkletter, Donahue, The Today Show,
Oprah, Geraldo, and Extra as well as CBS, NBC, CNN and ABC Network News. Feature
articles on me, my professional work, and books have appeared in many national publications
including: Newsweek, Time, People Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times,The
London Times, The Saturday Review, Family Weekly (Syndicated), The Nation, and The
New Republic.
PROFESSIONAL HONORS AND AWARDS
Past President, AMERICAN SOCIETY OF GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY; Editor, JOURNAL OF GROUP
PSYCHOTHERAPY; MANHATTAN SOCIETY FOR MENTAL HEALTH, INC.; Awarded scroll: "In
recognition Of Outstanding work with delinquent youth..." (1955); THE SOCIETY
FOR STUDY OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS (Affiliate of American Sociological Association), 1959
DeRoy Award ) for "Best paper reporting an a significant social problem."
Paper entitled "The Delinquent Gang as a Near-Group" was published in Social
Problems Journal, Fall 1959; AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE
My paper on gangs was nominated for The Newcomb Cleveland Award for best scientific
paper presented at the l962 Philadelphia Meetings.
In l967, I was selected from all Professors in The California State University System
to receive The California State University Board of Trustees "Outstanding Professor
Award". For the Award, I received a financial award and a plaque that stated
for "... high achievement in Scholarship, Teaching and Public Service".
In 1992, I was honored to receive the Dr. J. L. Moreno Award (J. L. Moreno, M.D.
was the founder of group psychotherapy ) at the American Society of Group Psychotherapy
and Psychodrama at its Annual Meeting in the form of a plaque that states "...the
American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama Presents to Dr. Lewis Yablonsky
the Dr. J. L. Moreno Award for his lifelong contribution to the field of Group Psychotherapy
and Psychodrama." In 1994 I was honored to receive The Group Psychotherapy Association
of Southern California Lifetime Achievement Award at its Annual Meeting in the form
of a plaque that stated "The Group Psychotherapy Association of Southern California
Honors Dr. Lewis Yablonsky in Recognition of His Outstanding Contributions to the
Mental Health Profession."
In l997 I received the "Frederic Thrasher Award" from THE NATIONAL GANG
CRIME RESEARCH CENTER, "for excellence in a lifetime career of gang scholarship."
In l998, at the PSA Meetings in San Francisco, I was honored to receive the "Pacific
Sociological Association Award for Distinguished Sociological Practice." According
to the criteria for the Award, it is given to a sociologist for "...applied
sociological activity that contributes to community betterment, and/or eases human
suffering."
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