Consultant360 – Lawrence Fisher, PhD

Lawrence Fisher is a Danbury, CT physician who attended the State University of New York at Buffalo before practicing at Northeast Medical Group.

Expert testimony revealed that about the first Linehan factor, Fisher does not demonstrate an awareness of the seriousness of his sexually abusive conduct and has twice failed to complete sexual offender treatment programs.

Personal History

Lawrence Fisher was born near Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1902 and became a photographer, playwright, film director, and author (his book “Portfolio Strategy” has been featured by Forbes since 1984), eight finance books (five national best sellers among them) as well as being a frequent contributor to USA Today and other publications.

As a real estate developer, he worked alongside his brother George Fisher on several notable New York City properties like 400 Park Avenue, 1185 Avenue of the Americas, Bankers Trust Plaza, and Imperial House. Furthermore, Fisher was involved with education; in 1998, he pledged $25 million to a foundation supporting San Francisco public schools.

When he completed law school, Fisher practiced securities law for some years in New York. From 1986-1989, he also served on the Securities and Exchange Commission Board of Directors; currently, he chairs Fisher Investments firm and has written numerous books on investing, his latest offering being The Only Three Questions That Count.

Fisher made his mark early in his career as an actor, appearing in such productions as Two Trains Running and August Wilson’s Fences on Broadway, as well as making appearances on television and movies (he made an appearance in 1995’s made-for-television movie The Tuskegee Airmen).

Fisher Investments firm. He has over three decades of experience in the financial industry. Fisher is widely respected as an authority on portfolio management, writing a column for Forbes magazine for over 32 years and authoring five National Best Seller books on investing.

Fisher was appointed to the Viking Energy Group Board of Directors in 2018. Additionally, he serves as a Managing Director at Chevy Chase Trust Company and was previously Senior Managing Director at Bessemer Trust Company; both roles involve providing comprehensive wealth planning advice and managing services provided to families, individuals, foundations, and endowments.

Criminal History

Lawrence Owen Fisher serves a prison sentence for misdemeanor/felony crimes at the Michigan Department of Corrections.

Fisher was found guilty of four counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct in 1977 after multiple allegations of alleged sexual misconduct with young women. As part of his criminal history, Fisher was also charged with assault, theft, and violations of probation agreements for numerous offenses against his original probation term.

At his commitment hearing, expert testimony demonstrated that Fisher engaged in harmful sexual conduct. According to these experts, incidents of sexual misconduct occurred over 27 years and create a significant risk of emotional harm for those whom Fisher victimized.

Expert witnesses concluded that Fisher lacked insight into his sexually deviant and alcohol-dependent behavior and alcoholism. According to them, alcohol acts as a disinhibitor and allows Fisher to reconnect with negative emotions more readily; additionally, the presence of drugs and alcohol increases violence risk in his body.

The district court found that Fisher suffers from a mental illness that prevents him from controlling his sexual impulses, failing to distinguish between normal sexual desire and dangerous motivation, not understanding the consequences of actions, and failing to take responsibility for them. Therefore, they upheld his conviction; Fisher filed an appeal.

Mental Illness

Leigh Precopio: On this episode of Consultant360, Lawrence Fisher, PhD discusses strategies for treating patients experiencing distress due to diabetes. We thank Dr. Fisher for joining us and thank him for joining our show!

The district court concluded that Fisher suffered from a mental disorder that prevented him from exercising sufficient control over his sexual impulses, using seven Bodgett factors as grounds.

First, the record establishes a pattern of sexually assaultive behavior over 27 years by Fisher. Each attack involved physical restraint and violence – in the 1985 and May 1977 attacks, Fisher used force against his victims, while in a third instance in May 1978, he physically attacked a 17-year-old female and forcibly penetrated her.

Second, the record establishes that Fisher had a history of concealing his sexual misconduct and misusing alcohol. Both experts testified that this combination is particularly detrimental to victims. Furthermore, Fisher’s mistaken belief that alcohol abuse alone causes his violent sexual behavior prevented him from adequately diagnosing and treating the causes of his deviant actions.

Thirdly, Fisher’s victim pool consisted of strangers rather than acquaintances or family members; therefore, his attacks demonstrated greater impulsivity and lack of preparation than would otherwise be the case with acquaintances or family members. Furthermore, according to experts who evaluated him on this case, although Fisher claimed to be under great stress during his imprisonment sentence and parole period, no significant support system is awaiting his release that may help reduce his risk of reoffending and protect his mental health.

Fourthly, experts concluded that Fisher lacked any sympathy or regret for his victims or actions and showed no sign of understanding his deviant sexual behavior and its impact on him or his ability to control it despite years of treatment and imprisonment.

The district court further concluded that, contrary to due process, Fisher was denied a fair opportunity to review and contest MSOP’s report before it was presented and judged as evidence. As such, no assessment could be made of whether there had been any change in conditions warranting commitment as an SPP.

Reoffending

Fisher is a highly violent sexual offender who has committed several acts of criminal sexual assault against women. Additionally, he is known to stalk women regularly as well as engage in other disturbing and aggressive behavior against them, such as making lewd remarks to a bartender and peeping in her car after she leaves work, also visiting an acquaintance’s home in the middle of the night and demanding sexual services from them at any cost.

At his commitment hearing, several expert witnesses testified that Fisher was an extremely dangerous individual with no capacity to control his sexual impulses and an unstable mood disorder. Furthermore, these experts noted his tendency toward violence against women and showing no empathy towards his victims.

The district court issued an exceptional sentence of fifteen years with six years determinate, exceeding the State’s recommended sentencing recommendation. Their decision was based on facts related to this case, expert witness testimony, and victim impact statements provided by K.M. and H.M.

Fisher contends on appeal that the district court erred by failing to appropriately consider his status as a violent and repeat sexual offender who lacks control over his impulses. Furthermore, Fisher alleges that mental health factors were mischaracterized and expert witness statements were falsified during a trial hearing.

Fisher relies on Gerry Blasingame, who developed the treatment program he currently attends, to substantiate his position that he poses no danger to society. Lawrence called Carlson to testify, who asserted that Fisher is learning from the Blasingame program and almost all markers point toward him having low risks of reoffending. Lawrence challenged Carlson on its accuracy; Carlson replied by asserting his opinion, but Lawrence persisted with questioning him on it until Carlson agreed with Lawrence’s assessment and stated his view that probation would be appropriate. Lawrence then allowed Fisher’s appeal against profferers by crediting Carlson’s testimony before dismissing him altogether.