The Kansas State Board of Indigents’ Defense Services has paid more than $300 an hour to psychologists in high-profile criminal cases, says the Wichita Eagle. When Robert Mendoza, a Massachusetts psychologist, offered to evaluate BTK suspect Dennis Rader at a reduced rate — $150 an hour for reviewing records in the case and $200 an hour for interviewing Rader and consulting with his defense team–the board accepted and paid Cambridge Forensic Consultants $57,314 for its services. Now Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline is suing Mendoza and Tali Walters, co-founders of Cambridge, for breaching their contract with the board “for the sole purpose of financial, professional or personal gain.”
Kline alleges that Mendoza and Walters obtained a release from Rader that allowed them to benefit financially from their work in the case. Mendoza videotaped an interview with Rader, portions of which aired Aug. 12 on “Dateline NBC.” Kline is suing for damages of more than $75,000. Mendoza earlier told the Eagle that he did not supply the tape to the network or make any money from it. “People should not profit from the miseries resulting from these heinous crimes,” Kline said at a news conference yesterday.