“Our office was appointed to represent [redacted], for re-sentencing on his JLWOP sentence post-Miller. We retained several experts to evaluate and discuss the child brain generally, [redacted]’s personal childhood experiences and how those affected his development, his incarceration history, and future dangerousness. In preparing for the hearing, however, we realized that it would be beneficial to put together a release plan to submit to the Court on behalf of [redacted]. We wanted to assuage any concerns the Court might have that he would simply be released to the streets without any support. Instead of turning to an outside expert to prepare the report, we enlisted Lindsay Bendell, our in-house social worker, to draft the release plan. Lindsay met with [redacted], reviewed his DOC re-entry plan, interviewed [redacted]’s mother, and interviewed Sean Taylor, the Director of The Second Chance Center a program that [redacted] intends to be involved with upon his release. Based on these sources of information, Lindsay drafted a release plan that Counsel submitted to the Court prior to the hearing for the Court’s review. Counsel referenced the report in their closing statement. Happily, [redacted]’s sentence was reconsidered and he was given a 40 year determinate sentence. This was a true team effort on behalf of [redacted], and Lindsay was a valuable part of that team!”
— Robert Halpern, Attorney
Testimonials
“I strongly recommend Lindsay Bendell, MSW, LSW Forensic Social Worker & Mitigation specialist to fellow defense attorneys and family members who are trying to help individuals living mental health or co-occurring disorders involved at any level of the criminal justice system. As a licensed defense attorney for over 35 years, 19 of those years as a public defender, the remainder of those years establishing mental health problem solving courts, as a private defense attorney working solely with this vulnerable population, as a the volunteer criminal defense attorney for NAMI’S (Colorado’s National Alliance for Mentally Ill) state Law Line, and as the defense attorney representative on Colorado’s Legislative Task Force for Individuals with Mental Illness Involved in the Criminal Justice System, I clearly know, value and use the services of a forensic social worker who has extensive experience, creativity and a special talent to work with the most vulnerable and frequently difficult population. Lindsay is that forensic social worker that any defense attorney or family member should hire. In addition to Lindsay’s work as a Certified Forensic Social Worker, her hands on experience as a social worker on an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team, gave Lindsay a unique in-depth knowledge and experience to help not only defense counsel or family members trying to help their loved ones living with mental health disorders, but the client him/herself. ”
— Gina Shimeall, Attorney
“Lindsay was instrumental in our representation of a mentally ill man charged with homicide. From day one, Lindsay met with the client, documented his behavior, conducted a mental status exam, developed a relationship with the client, and interviewed and communicated near-constantly with family members. Lindsay’s focus on mitigation allowed me to handle the legal aspects of the case without worrying that anything was falling through the cracks. And, most importantly, Lindsay’s thorough and conscientious report helped convince forensic evaluators, the district attorney, and the judge that the client needed competency restoration services. I highly recommend Lindsay to any defense team in need of a social worker or mitigation specialist.”
— Sara Wafai, Attorney
“Lindsay and I worked together as a team for a client who was clearly struggling with mental health issues but was a poor historian and had no formal documentation or diagnosis supporting our belief that they were mentally ill. We conducted interviews with friends, family members, and associates as part of our mitigation investigation and Lindsay picked up on key words, themes, and behavioral patterns mentioned during the interviews that were consistent with a specific mental illness; after Lindsay was able to identify a potential disorder, we were able to frame our questions in a way that better supported our client and the investigation/mitigation work. Lindsay’s distinct knowledge about mental health and illness, her educational background, and her professional experiences enable her to think of things defense investigators or attorneys might not. I learned a great deal working with Lindsay and enthusiastically recommend her services.”
— Jacqueline Silbermann, Senior Criminal Defense Investigator
“I am pleased to recommend Lindsay Bendell to any attorney who is looking for a Forensic Social Worker and/or Mitigation Specialist. I worked with Lindsay on a serious felony case for a young client and she was instrumental in helping my client avoid the possibility of a prison sentence of 10 to 32 years. Lindsay approaches her job with professionalism and has the experience to work on any criminal case for both adults and juveniles. Lindsay understands the science behind mental health issues and substance abuse disorders and will support the client with a sound, evidence-based approach. She is an excellent resource for the criminal defense practitioner.”
— Kevin Cantley, Attorney
