To Tell the Truth

Testifying as an expert in emotionally-laden child abuse cases is no easy task. Dr. Reece, a retired Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, has taught medical students, residents, and colleagues nationally and internationally about the diagnosis and management of child abuse cases for over forty years. He crafted this book, To Tell the Truth to illustrate countervailing arguments that jurors may hear in cases of abusive head trauma. He hopes this will enable the reader to distinguish between fact and fiction in testimony.

＂A compelling story addressing an issue familiar to physicians who care for children, but important to all of us. A baby dies, and the question of a sad, natural death weighed against a homicide and who caused the death becomes a quagmire of truth and lies inherent in the justice system assigned to determine guilt or innocence. Characters reflect personal attitudes and emotions, creating glimpses into their humanity as the baby’s case winds its way through an all-too-real courtroom drama. The narrative of witnesses in the courtroom and tactics of attorneys brings the reader face-to-face with a startling reality: sometimes criminal cases are influenced by more than the ’truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.＂

Robert W. Block, MD, FAAP, Professor Emeritus, Pediatrics

The University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine,

Past president, American Academy of Pediatrics