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Aryan Sarparast MDLLC

For attorneys

Psychiatric expertise for criminal, civil, and immigration matters, for prosecution and defense.

I help legal teams understand the psychiatric and pharmacological questions in a case.

That can mean reconstructing a person's mental state from the records, explaining how a substance or medication likely affected behavior, or assessing whether care met the standard. I review records, consult with counsel, write reports, and testify, including before grand juries.

My prior legal clients include the Oregon Public Defense Commission, Levi Merrithew Horst PC, and the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office. For the District Attorney's Office, I testified before the grand jury in the case of Alaska Airlines pilot Joseph Emerson, later covered by The New York Times (opens in a new tab) and the FX and Hulu documentary Lie to Fly (opens in a new tab).

Discuss a case

Rates are available on inquiry.

Dr. Aryan Sarparast in a navy blazer, leaning on a railing in front of an OHSU building

Questions I can help answer

Criminal cases

  • What was this person's mental state at the time of the events?
  • Could intoxication, withdrawal, or a medication explain the behavior?
  • Did a substance-induced or altered state of consciousness play a role?
  • How do psychiatric medications interact with alcohol, cannabis, or other substances?
  • How do trauma, PTSD, or mental illness inform mitigation and sentencing?

Civil and regulatory matters

  • Did a clinician, program, or service center meet the standard of care for screening and safety?
  • Was an adverse event foreseeable, and was it handled appropriately?
  • What do Oregon's rules for state-regulated psilocybin services require?
  • Could a medication side effect or interaction have contributed to an injury?

Immigration and asylum

  • Do psychiatric findings support the trauma described in an asylum claim?
  • How has trauma affected a person's memory, testimony, or daily functioning?
  • Can a psychiatric evaluation document the effects of persecution for an application?

Background relevant to your case

  • Board-certified psychiatristAmerican Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
  • Grand jury testimonyMultnomah County, State of Oregon v. Emerson
  • Vice-chair, Oregon Psilocybin Advisory BoardOregon Health Authority; appointed by Governor Kotek
  • Lead author, drug-interaction reviewPsychopharmacology, 2022
  • Clinical trial safety oversightData safety monitoring board chair and member; FDA-regulated trial study physician
  • Former assistant professor, OHSUFounder of the PEACE consultation service; now affiliate faculty

Discuss a case

Use the contact form to leave your name, email, and a brief note about the matter. Depending on my schedule, it may take up to 5 business days to reply, so please include any deadlines.

Contact Dr. Sarparast