Dissociation and the insanity defense: A review of U.S. Federal appellate case law.

Autor: Haroon H; Department of Psychiatry, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Journal of forensic sciences [J Forensic Sci] 2024 Sep; Vol. 69 (5), pp. 1782-1788. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jun 14.
DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.15567
Abstrakt: Pathological dissociation is relatively common in the United States and may be associated with violent or criminal behavior. Dissociative Disorders, especially Dissociative Identity Disorder, are considered controversial diagnoses by some in the psychiatric and legal professions. Individuals who offend during dissociative states may not be criminally responsible if they meet the legal standard for insanity, however, insanity pleas based on dissociative symptoms are rare. This review examined Federal appellate case law for potential legal barriers to the insanity defense for dissociative conditions and any restrictions imposed on related expert evidence. Few rulings directly addressed these questions but there do not appear to be any unique barriers for dissociation-related insanity pleas. Some cases provided valuable insights regarding the admission of expert evidence, effective expert testimony, and the role of defense counsel.
(© 2024 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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