The commission of a serious crime resulting in arrest sets in motion criminal proceedings against the accused in both the Netherlands and Massachusetts, and the law provides for distinct procedures when the defendant's mental state may influence the outcome of criminal proceedings. In the Netherlands, the court designates a behavioral expert to conduct a forensic assessment. In Massachusetts, an adversarial approach exists in which two parties, the prosecution and the defense, are in sharp dispute and even present their own evidence. Discontinuities in the forensic process in Massachusetts are noted, and the nature of multidisciplinary residential assessments in the Netherlands is discussed. The role of forensic experts in examining relevant aspects of the defendant's possible psychopathology and training for forensic mental health professionals are examined. 25 references and 9 notes