Law Commons^™

Psychosocial Analysis Of An Ethnography At The Cuyahoga County Public Defenders Office, Ernest M. Oleksy

The Downtown Review

Too often, social science majors become jaded with their field of study due to a misperception of the nature of many potential jobs which they are qualified for. Such discord is prevalent amongst undergraduates who strive for work in the criminal justice system. Hollywood misrepresentations become the archetypes of the aforementioned field, leaving out the necessity and ubiquity of accompanying desk work. Still other social science majors struggle to identify theoretical interpretations in praxis.

Clients Want Results, Lawyers Need Emotional Intelligence, Christine C. Kelton

Cleveland State Law Review

Thinking requires emotions and emotions enhance thinking. This Article suggests that the emotionally intelligent lawyer is more likely to serve the needs of clients and the legal community than the lawyer who has less understanding of, and control over, emotions. Part II introduces two “emotionally unintelligent” lawyers, Amanda and Rick, and considers how their emotional “unintelligence” affects their new client, psychologist, Dr. Ray Randolph. Part III provides some background on the relevant research on emotional intelligence, including the history of intelligence, from general intelligence, to social intelligence, to multiple intelligences, and to emotional intelligence. Part IV defines and explores the …

The Adam Walsh Child Protection And Safety Act: Legal And Psychological Aspects Of The New Civil Commitment Law For Federal Civil Commitment Law For Federal Sex Offenders , John Fabian

Cleveland State Law Review

The Adam Walsh Act (AWA) became law on July 27, 2006, and is the most expansive and punitive sex offender law ever initiated by the federal government. One aspect of the statute, and the topic of this article, is the civil commitment of federal sex offenders. The AWA civil commitment law has its roots in prior U.S. Supreme Court cases including Kansas v. Hendricks and Kansas v. Crane. While the federal commitment statute is similar to traditional state commitment laws, the AWA does not provide for a finding of "likely" to commit sex offenses. Rather, the statute defines a "sexually …

Capital Punishment, Psychiatrists And The Potential Bottleneck Of Competence , Jacob M. Appel

Journal of Law and Health

The purpose of this paper is to merge two largely separate bodies of writing on the subject of psychiatric participation in capital punishment. Much has already been written from the perspective of legal academics regarding the rights of prisoners to be free from unwanted medical care if the purpose of providing such care is to render them fit for execution. Medical ethicists have also written much on the degree to which physicians, and specifically psychiatrists, may participate in facilitating the death penalty before they become so complicit as to violate accepted standards of professional ethics. Surprisingly, these two fields of …

Life, Death, And Iq: It's Much More Than Just A Score: Understanding And Utilizing Forensic Psychological And Neuropsychological Evaluations In Atkins Intellectual Disability/Mental Retardation Cases, John Matthew Fabian, William W. Thompson, Jeffrey B. Lazarus

Cleveland State Law Review

This article highlights best practices for assessing MR and ID in capital cases with an emphasis on Atkins trial preparation and potential problems the authors have noted through experience. These best practices in Atkins hearings concern issues for the lawyers, forensic psychologists, and neuropsychologists, which include:

1. Practice effects and IQ testing

2. Consistency of IQ scores over time

3. Flynn Effect

4. Malingering versus cognitive suboptimal effort

5. Lack of records indicating pre-age 18 diagnosis of MR/ID

6. Retrospective assessment of adaptive behaviors

7. Death row trends of increasing IQ over the years while incarcerated

8. Maladaptive behaviors versus …

The Andrea Yates Case: Insanity On Trial, Phillip J. Resnick

Cleveland State Law Review

On June 20, 2001, Andrea Yates drowned each of her five children in her bathtub. The nation struggled to understand how a loving mother could systematically kill her children in apparent cold blood. No crime evokes more intense feelings than a mother killing her own children. There was extraordinary media coverage of her trial in Houston, Texas in 2002. Her defense attorneys, George Parnham and Wendell Odom entered a defense of not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI) to multiple counts of first degree murder with death penalty specifications. The 2002 trial jury verdict of guilty was overturned on appeal. …

United States V. Sell: Involuntary Administration Of Antipsychotic Medication - Are You Dangerous Or Not, Gregg Single

Journal of Law and Health

Antipsychotic drugs "alter the chemical balance in a patient's brain and can cause irreversible and fatal side effects." Furthermore, they "act at all levels of the central nervous system as well as on multiple organ systems. [They] can induce catatonic-like states, alter electroencephalographic tracings, and cause swelling of the brain. Adverse reactions include drowsiness, excitement, restlessness, bizarre dreams, hypertension, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, salivation, dry mouth, perspiration, headache, constipation, blurred vision, impotency, eczema, jaundice, tremors, and muscle spasms". As well as these symptoms, they can also cause "tardive dyskinsesia, an often irreversible syndrome of uncontrollable movements that can prevent …

The Mentally Ill Offender: A Brighter Tomorrow Through The Eyes Of The Mentally Ill Offender Treatment And Crime Reduction Act Of 2004, Ralph M. Rivera

Journal of Law and Health

Beginning in the early 1950s and '60s, states began to close their public mental health hospitals. This process was known as "deinstitutionalization." In recent years, following the massive wave of deinstitutionalization, a substantial number of institutionalized persons with mental disabilities were relocated from civil mental hospitals into jails and prisons, Despite this shift in population, correctional facilities remain ill-equipped to handle and deal with offenders with mental disabilities. One study found that approximately 6.5-10% of inmates suffered from a serious mental illness, while another 15-40% suffered from a moderate mental illness. Another study done by the Bureau of Justice Statistics …

Theories Of Therapeutic Evolution For Juvenile Drug Courts In The Face Of The Onset Of The Co-Occurrence Of Mental Health Issues And Substance/Alcohol Abuse, David L. Harvey Iii

Journal of Law and Health

The purpose of this Note is to review two specific and newly emerging therapeutic courts: juvenile mental health courts and juvenile drug courts. It will explain how and why a mental health element should be implemented into the juvenile drug court system. Part II of this Note will give a historical and procedural overview of juvenile drug courts. These procedures will draw mainly from the newly formed Medina County Juvenile Drug Court, located in Medina, Ohio. Part III will explain the origination and procedures currently employed by juvenile mental health courts, as they relate specifically to Santa Clara's Court for …

A Healer Or An Executioner - The Proper Role Of A Psychiatrist In A Criminal Justice System, Gregory Dolin

Journal of Law and Health

This article argues that despite the benefits of ridding the criminal justice system of some uncertainty and ignorance with respect to mental health issues, the very close involvement of psychiatrists in the criminal justice system as practiced in the United States is not only illogical and bad policy, but also unethical from the viewpoint of medical ethics. Part II of this article will lay the groundwork for the argument by discussing the history of the insanity defense, and of science's involvement with criminal justice; while Part III, will look into the association of science and the administration of justice in …

Calling Dr. Love: The Physician-Patient Sexual Relationship As Grounds For Medical Malpractice - Society Pays While The Doctor And Patient Play, Scott M. Puglise

Journal of Law and Health

This note examines "consensual" sexual relationships between non-mental health physicians and patients. More specifically, it examines whether such relationships ever amount to medical malpractice. Generally, a non-mental health physician would be liable under the rubric of medical malpractice only if the sexual relationship was commenced under the guise of "medical treatment." Recent cases, however, have expanded liability in certain circumstances when the physician-patient relationship has involved "counseling matters." "Counseling matters" describes talking to patients about their feelings, or discussing personal problems not necessarily related to their proposed treatment. Medical treatment supplemented by "counseling" purportedly requires greater scrutiny due to the …

Standards And Procedures For Determining Whether A Defendant Is Competent To Make The Ultimate Choice - Death; Ohio's New Precedent For Death Row Volunteers, Matthew T. Norman

Journal of Law and Health

Despite the fact that many states will allow a death row defendant to waive his legal appeals in order to hasten his execution date, there are inadequate standards and procedures for determining whether the "volunteer" is first competent to make this ultimate decision of life versus death. To provide background for this issue, this Note will discuss the events initially leading up to the nation's first death row "volunteer", then it will introduce subsequent volunteers of the present day. This Note then will look at what the United States Supreme Court has said about the standards and procedures that are …

The Liability Of Psychotherapists For Breach Of Confidentiality, Ellen W. Grabois

Journal of Law and Health

This paper will try to reconstruct the legal and ethical underpinnings of the confidential relationship of psychotherapist and patient, and will also touch upon the psychotherapist-patient testimonial privilege and its exceptions. It will then describe the liability of psychotherapists for breach of confidentiality based on contract and tort. It will conclude with some evaluation of this type of cause of action, and its future usefulness in the law..

The Strict Application Of The Restatement, Ohio Law And The Rules Of Civil Procedure: Estates Of Morgan V. Fairfield Family Counseling Center, Geoffrey M. Wardle, Jeffrey L. Mallon

Cleveland State Law Review

Considered by some in the mental health profession as the imposition of an onerous duty, the Ohio Supreme Court's decision in Estates of Morgan v. Fairfield Family Counseling Center represents an extension of the recognized legal duty imposed upon mental health practitioners who treat inpatients to those who treat outpatients. This created a uniform standard. The article begins in Part II by describing the story of a psychiatric patient, Matt Morgan. Part III then discusses the duty to control in the outpatient setting by going through traditional tort analysis, stare decisis, strict statutory application, and civil procedure. Part IV concludes …

Psychotherapist-Patient Privilege: A Rational Approach To Defining Psychotherapist, The 1997 John M. Manos Writing Competition On Evidence, Kathleen M. Maynard

Cleveland State Law Review

In the recently decided case of Jaffee v. Redmond, the United States Supreme Court acknowledged the existence of a psychotherapist-patient privilege under Federal Rule of Evidence 501 for the first time. This Article will make recommendations to lower federal courts that must construe the meaning of "psychotherapist." Part II will provide an overview of federal psychotherapist-patient privilege law prior to Jaffee. Part III will discuss the Court's decision to expand the definition of "psychotherapist" based upon the increased demand for therapy among lower income Americans. Part IV will make three arguments explaining why lower federal courts are free to extend …

Joining A Cult: Religious Choice Or Psychological Aberration, Dena S. Davis

Journal of Law and Health

In this article, I will analyze the different theories about "cult" membership and conversion, specifically focusing upon whether or not conversions to cults ought to be respected by the law in the same way that the law respects conversion to be respected by the law in the same way that the law respects conversion to and membership in, mainstream religions. In section II, I attempt (unsuccessfully) to define a "cult". In section III, I discuss the civil liberties issues surrounding "cults" and the public furor they have engendered. In section IV, I discuss the different and competing theories about why …

Therapists' Liability To The Falsely Accused For Inducing Illusory Memories Of Childhood Sexual Abuse - Current Remedies And A Proposed Statute, Joel Jay Finer

Journal of Law and Health

While sexual abuse of children has always been a real and horrific phenomenon (a fact unrecognized until relatively recently), the issue this Article will explore is whether, and under what circumstances, a person wrongly accused has, or should have, one or more causes of action against a therapist for culpably inducing the pseudomemory. To refine and make more rational legal actions by persons falsely accused of childhood sexual molestation (arguably justified under existing legal doctrine), this Article will propose specific legislation authorizing a lawsuit under codified circumstances and conditions.

True Protection For Persons With Severe Mental Disabilities, Such As Schizophrenia, Involved As Subjects In Research - A Look And Consideration Of The Protection Of Human Subjects , Anne J. Ryan

Journal of Law and Health

This article begins with an in-depth discussion of the UCLA incident followed by the history of protecting human research subjects and a review of the current law intended to protect research participants. Next, it explains the nature of schizophrenia and discusses the topic of schizophrenia and the informed consent process, explaining why persons with schizophrenia warrant more protection than is currently given, especially in the areas of monitoring and informed consent. This article also examines proposed ideas, from various sources, for better protection of the mentally disabled as research subjects. This article concludes with this writer's proposal as to how …

Drug-Induced Alteration Of Psychotic Behavior: Who Benefits?, Gerald J. Schaefer

Journal of Law and Health

Given the debilitating nature of psychosis, those affected are often unable to give informed consent about taking the medication. A crucial question is whether civil or criminal authorities can force the individual to take antipsychotic medication and under what circumstances this should be permitted. This review will focus on the current legal status of involuntary treatment with antipsychotics in various patient populations. The constitutional issues involved will be considered in light of both the patient's and the civil or criminal institution's rights and duties. A review of the literature suggests there is a critical need for a balanced position on …

Paternalism, Civil Commitment And Illness Politics: Assessing The Current Debate And Outlining A Future Direction, Bruce A. Arrigo

Journal of Law and Health

The purpose of this article is to examine critically the role that both law and psychiatry have played in casting mentally ill persons as deviants, citizen / outsiders caught in a crossfire of illness politics. This examination will focus on those values protected and privileged by the medical and legal professions as reflected in confinement law and policy primarily during the last quarter of the twentieth century. The social, economic and political power these disciplines exercise in the lives of psychiatric citizens raises significant questions concerning the future of involuntary civil commitment both from a clinical and justice policy perspective. …

To Stay At Home: Analysis Of Rights And Recommendations On Procedures For Persons Receiving Mental Health Services In The Community , Janet L. Lowder, Franklin J. Hickman

Journal of Law and Health

Before the pendulum swings back to the use of institutions as the primary treatment modality for persons with severe mental illness, there should be a re-examination of the alternatives available to community care providers to ensure compliance with treatment outside of the hospital. This article will focus on the alternatives available in the Ohio mental health system, which is fundamentally oriented towards community-based treatment, and the effects of this orientation.

I Shot The Sheriff, But Only My Analyst Knows: Shrinking The Psychotherapist-Patient Privilege, Brian Domb

Journal of Law and Health

This Note will discuss the psychotherapist-patient privileges as it relates to past crimes and will use the Menendez facts to analyze different problems associated with the privilege. First, privileges law in general will be described with an emphasis on the public policy rationales supporting the specific privileges; ample space will then be devoted exclusively to the psychotherapist -patient privilege, especially the unique problems associated with having any exceptions which allow testimony of psychotherapeutic communications. The Note will then discuss the recognized exceptions to the psychotherapist privilege to see if a case can be made for an exception relating to past …

Rights Within The Therapeutic Relationship, Patricia King

Journal of Law and Health

My thesis is that the failure of these rights to be implemented in any meaningful way for persons with mental illness is the result of a narrow image of rights which emphasizes the individual, valuing autonomy independent of care, and sacrifices relationship and the connection to the community. By conceiving of rights in such a way, we strengthen the individual but do not address the reality of the context or relationship within which persons with mental illness will actualize these rights. This failure to recognize and account for the disequilibrium within therapeutic relationships and the necessity of caring within such …

Ford V. Wainwright, Statutory Changes And A New Test For Sanity: You Can't Execute Me, I'M Crazy, Steven J. Huff

Cleveland State Law Review

In Ford v. Wainwright, the Supreme Court addressed the issue of whether the Eighth Amendment prohibits the execution of an insane inmate. In answering this query, the Court created a constitutional right not to be executed while incompetent. However, the Ford decision is not only important for its creation of a "new" constitutional right, it also has the potential of nullifying several state statutes in regards to the due process requirements of hearings addressing the issue of insanity at the time of execution. The Ford decision also requires that a new test of sanity be created the test of whether …

Psychotherapy And Confidentiality, Ralph Slovenko

Cleveland State Law Review

Does the psychiatrist talk too much? Does the modern practice of psychiatry threaten confidentiality? Whatever disagreement may exist regarding the methods used by a therapist in the course of psycho-therapy, there is a near unanimity of opinion among therapists that nothing about a patient should be divulged to third parties. Allegedly, the patient's full participation, essential to psychotherapy, cannot be obtained without an assurance of absolute confidentiality.

Behavior Modification: Winners In The Game Of Life, Richard L. Aynes

Cleveland State Law Review

It is because the officials who administer the penal institutions are firmly committed to "behavior control" as a method of penological re-form that it is important to consider this "new approach" and all of its ramifications. It is to that end that this note will consider the extent and intensity of behavior control programs; the legal ramifications of such programs; and prospects for the future.

O'Connor V. Donaldson: The Death Of The Quid Pro Quo Argument For A Right To Treatment, Thomas P. Bliss

Cleveland State Law Review

On June 26, 1975, the Supreme Court was confronted with the controversial issue of whether there is a constitutionally guaranteed right to treatment for nondangerous persons who have been involuntarily and civilly committed to mental institutions. The Court avoided this long advocated issue and created the potential for future litigation by holding that a state cannot constitutionally confine a nondangerous individual solely for custodial care if such person can live safely in the outside world, without a finding of more than mere mental illness. This comment will discuss the decision in terms of the most volatile and frequently urged constitutional …

Psychologist As Expert Witness In Psychiatric Questions, Elliot R. Levine

Cleveland State Law Review

When the seeking of truth and the dispensing of justice require Wan evaluation of a litigant's mental functioning, the courts have traditionally looked to medically trained psychiatrists to serve as expert witnesses. In his private practice the psychiatrist frequently uses the consultative services of a clinical psychologist because psychological tests are more quantitative, less subjective, and more sensitive to the nuances of personality deviation than are the traditional psychiatric evaluative techniques. The psychologist can offer to the court, as well as the medical profession can, the opportunity for the utilization of the most scientific means and methods of appraising personality. …

Psychiatrist In Workmen's Compensation Field, Donald W. Loria

Cleveland State Law Review

At one time, if a physician could find no objective evidence of disability, an employee usually lost his workmen's compensation case. If the x-ray and the electroencephalogram were negative, if no muscle spasm were present, if the diminished sensation to pinprick followed no anatomical pattern-if the doctors could find nothing in the examination to substantiate the employee's complaints of pain-the decision invariably found the employee was malingering. Compensation was denied. Toward the middle of this century, psychiatry began to offer some explanations.

Compulsory Community Care For The Mentally Ill, Beatrice K. Bleicher

Cleveland State Law Review

At the present time, the benefits of community care are limited to voluntary patients, but they should be extended to involuntary patients as well. This paper discusses the need for compulsory community care and the steps taken to meet this need in a few states and in Britain. Finally, it proposes legislation which could cope with the problems of providing community care for the civilly committed.