Adrienne M. Saxton, MD

Dr. Adrienne Saxton is dual board certified in general and forensic psychiatry. Her work includes emergency psychiatric evaluations, community capacity restoration program evaluation and treatment, behavioral threat assessment and management, and civil and criminal forensic psychiatry examinations. She also provides medical student, resident and fellow education.

She is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Additionally, Dr. Saxton is the assistant program director for the Atrium Health Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship Program.

After graduating summa cum laude at Michigan State University, she received her medical degree with high distinction at Wayne State University and completed her psychiatry residency at the University of Michigan. She then completed a forensic psychiatry fellowship at Case Western Reserve University.

Dr. Saxton won several awards for academic distinction while in college and medical school. She served as chief resident and received the Patient Advocate Award from the University of Michigan Department of Psychiatry. She was awarded the Forensic Psychiatry Faculty Excellence Award from Case Western Reserve University to recognize her dedication to teaching forensic psychiatry fellows.

She has published several articles on forensic psychiatry topics, including psychiatric malpractice, competence to stand trial, disability evaluation and violence risk and medicolegal issues surrounding cannabis. She has presented at national conferences for the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law and the National Update on Behavioral Emergencies. Dr. Saxton is an active member of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, where she serves on the Judicial Action, Government Affairs, Criminal Behavior and Peer Review of Psychiatric Testimony committees.

Dr. Saxton was drawn to forensic psychiatry because of her interest in issues at the intersection of mental health and the law. She previously worked in a state psychiatric hospital on a competence to stand trial unit for several years and did examinations for a court psychiatric clinic. She performed disability evaluations for the School Employees’ and State Teachers’ Retirement Systems in Ohio.

Dr. Saxton has testified in court hearings and depositions as an expert over 40 times. She takes pride in writing detailed, evidence-based reports to answer questions posed by the court. Her areas of expertise include competence to proceed, criminal responsibility, mitigation, psychiatric malpractice, fitness for duty and risk assessment.