An Irritating Woman

Hernandez took the stand and recommended that Diamond have two extra hours every other Sunday, giving her a total of eight hours, and two hours each Wednesday night. After two months, assuming therapy goes well, the visits will be stepped up.

When it was her turn, Pat Keane made a point of mentioning Diamond's outburst to the judge.

Mark Graham

A court-appointed psychiatrist believed that Dr. Susan Diamond was perpetrating a bizarre and controversial kind of deception called Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.

"House manager" Michael Lamberti contended that Diamond encouraged her son to act up. Lamberti is now in prison on an unrelated fraud charge.

Related Content

• Psycho Mom
  January 20, 2005
• Letters
  March 17, 2005
• Bad Medicine
  March 10, 2005
• Tough choices
  October 10, 1996

More About

• Susan Diamond
• Rick San Soucie
• Mark Blotcky
• Religion
• Judaism

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Weekly Newsletter: Our weekly feature stories, movie reviews, calendar picks and more - minus the newsprint and sent directly to your inbox.

Privacy Policy Cancel Continue

Afterward, Diamond expressed her disgust. "I wanted the hearing," she said, "so I'm impulsive. It's more name-calling.

"By the time I get more time with the children," she said, "I'll be 90."

And whatever the lawyers and dueling psychiatrists think of Dr. Susan Diamond, the kids just miss Mom.