Larry M. Davis, M.D. (February 1943 – 20 November 2006) was a practicing

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry, the branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, study, and treatment of mental disorders. Psychiatrists are physicians and evaluate patients to determine whether their sy ...

from 1971 until his accidental death in 2006.

Forensic expertise

Davis was a

board certified Board certification is the process by which a physician or other professional demonstrates a mastery of advanced knowledge and skills through written, practical, or simulator-based testing. Certification bodies There are more than 25 boards that ...

Forensic Psychiatrist Forensic psychiatry is a subspeciality of psychiatry and is related to criminology. It encompasses the interface between law and psychiatry. According to the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, it is defined as "a subspecialty of psychiatr ...

and

Forensic Examiner Forensic science, also known as criminalistics, is the application of science to Criminal law, criminal and Civil law (legal system), civil laws, mainly—on the criminal side—during criminal investigation, as governed by the legal standard ...

. He served as

Diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

for the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, the American Board of Forensic Medicine, the American Board of Forensic Examiners, and the American Board of Clinical

Sexology Sexology is the scientific study of human sexuality, including human sexual interests, behaviors, and functions. The term ''sexology'' does not generally refer to the non-scientific study of sexuality, such as social criticism. Sexologists app ...

Watershed influence

Davis served as a psychiatric expert witness on hundreds of cases. Most famously, he was the chief defense psychiatrist in the

Tony Kiritsis Anthony "Tony" George Kiritsis (August 13, 1932 – January 28, 2005) was an American kidnapper. Kiritsis was a resident of Indianapolis, Indiana, and had fallen behind on mortgage payments for a piece of real estate. In early February 1977, wh ...

case. This was one of three watershed cases (including that of

John Hinckley, Jr. John Warnock Hinckley Jr. (born May 29, 1955) is an American man who attempted to assassinate U.S. President Ronald Reagan in Washington, D.C. on March 30, 1981, two months after Reagan's first inauguration. Using a .22 caliber revolver, Hinck ...

) that diametrically shifted the burden of proof from the prosecution to the

defense Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense industr ...

when the

defendant In court proceedings, a defendant is a person or object who is the party either accused of committing a crime in criminal prosecution or against whom some type of civil relief is being sought in a civil case. Terminology varies from one jurisdic ...

asserts an

affirmative defense An affirmative defense to a civil lawsuit or criminal charge is a fact or set of facts other than those alleged by the plaintiff or prosecutor which, if proven by the defendant, defeats or mitigates the legal consequences of the defendant's o ...

of insanity.

Career focus

Davis focused much of his career on human sexuality. He was expert in diagnosing and treating sexual

recidivism Recidivism (; from ''recidive'' and ''ism'', from Latin ''recidīvus'' "recurring", from ''re-'' "back" and ''cadō'' "I fall") is the act of a person repeating an undesirable behavior after they have experienced negative consequences of th ...

in criminals, and

post traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on a ...

from prior sexual trauma. He was also expert on

sex therapy Sex therapy is a strategy for the improvement of sexual function and treatment of sexual dysfunction. This includes sexual dysfunctions such as premature ejaculation or delayed ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, lack of sexual interest or arousal, ...

for seniors.

Geography of practice

Davis was a driving force behind Indiana University School of Medicine’s first Forensic Psychiatry training program. He was licensed to practice psychiatry in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. He was a co-founder of the

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

-based Davis Clinic. He was Founder and Medical Director of Indiana’s first private outpatient sex offender treatment program, and supervisor of a successful treatment program for victims of sex offense. At the time of his death, Davis was Indiana’s only practicing sex therapist/physician certified by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (

AASECT The American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) is a professional organization for sexuality educators, sexuality counselors and sex therapists. History and overview AASECT was founded by Patricia Schiller i ...

Biography

Davis was married (Betty), and had two daughters and two granddaughters at the time of his death. Prior to private civilian practice, Davis served as Chief of Psychiatry at

Langley Air Force Base Langley Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Hampton, Virginia, adjacent to Newport News, Virginia, Newport News. It was one of List of airfields of the Training Section of the United States Army Air Service, thirty-two ...

and as Vice President for the Air Force Society of Psychiatrists. Davis held a pilot's license, and died in the crash of a small single-engine aircraft near Milford, Illinois, on 20 November 2006. He was the sole occupant of the craft.

References

External links

AASECT website

U.S. Air Force – Career Detail – Psychiatrist
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Larry 1943 births 2006 deaths American psychiatrists