MHS-2320 Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Irresistible Impulse, Mental Disorder, Homicide
27 Feb 2019
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Chapter 7 - the medical empowering of legal institutions. Barefoot vs estelle - potential for rehabilitation in a potential death penalty case. Lack of hard evidence, growing appeal of scientific evidence ( like pet scans) Psychiatrists - inaccurate, uncertain, open to interpretation - based on confidence/credentials instead. Conservative in use of information as the basis of decisions, but greater emphasis on biological. Scientific expertise used in criminal law - enhances efficiency and effectiveness of courts explanations of behavior and scientific test results. Insanity defense - suffer from extreme mental disabilities, hard to call them bad . Insanity - functional term, linking emotional and cognitive capabilities to specific behavior - not medical. Volition - actions to fit legal standards and cognition - understanding their actions. Conflicts over definition of insanity and criteria used to judge mental state. 18th century - comparing mental capacity to that of a 14yo and then deciding.
