Among critics of police psychics who are paid public funds to provide court testimony are Tennessee based writer John Merrell and Florida based Dr. Gary Posner, M.D.

Dr. Gary Posner, M.D. is profiled elsewhere on this site.

Both men have been active independently and sometimes as colleagues in uncovering fraud and psuedoscience posing as credible science. Both provide investigative assistance and public reports across bogus offerings, medical quackery, and unfounded scientific claims.

Tennessee based John Merrell, Senior, has over the past 25 years investigated an assortment of quackery schemes and deceptions such as recent psychic stock picks tied to non-existent funds.  He has been honored on several occasions both at the federal level and in Tennessee for his work.

In late 2006 Merrell noted that “there are dozens of psychics who claim to be able summon the dead and have psychic powers of a God.  For thousands of years soothsayers like them have failed to foresee or prevent both natural and sudden disasters.  In recent years no psychic came forward to stop 9-11, nor did any warn of the events of Hurricane Katrina.  No psychic has prevented the accidental deaths of leading public figures in recent weeks.    And no psychic has ever led a law enforcement officer by the hand toward a lost and frightened child before the child died of cold or starvation.  Never."

According to Merrell some law enforcement personnel have knowingly sent journalists towards a fantasized psychic story --- always a easy story for TV and media drama --- as an apparent cover for flawed investigations or to 'play' a naive suspect.   He has noted several times law enforcement personnel in so doing have managed to cover real issues they preferred the media to initially miss.  

In his efforts against pseudoscience claims he believes both law enforcement officials and the media share a responsibility for making sure claims are reported carefully and accurately.

Merrell notes that "We live in the 21st century.  It is time we asked for absolute proof of claims.  Having landed upon the moon, we shouldn't believe in paranormal visions promoted in courtrooms that upon examination are only exaggerations of the mind.  It is naive to support psychic detectives rather than protecting innocent victims who are falsely named by psychics seeking media attention.   In-depth examinations have repeatedly shown police psychics only convey erroneous and exaggerated visions."