Forensic Psychiatric Evaluation of Defendants Raising the Insanity Defense

• NCJ Number: 195959
• Journal: Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, Supplement Volume: 30 Issue: 2 Dated: 2002 Pages: S1-S40
• Author(s): Deborah Giorgi-Guarnieri M.D.; Jeffrey Janofsky M.D.; Emily Keram M.D.; Sarah Lawsky J.D.; Philip Merideth M.D.; Douglas Mossman M.D.; Donna Schwartz-Watts M.D.; John Thompson, Jr M.D.; Howard V. Zonana M.D.
• Date Published: 2002
• Length: 40 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Policy/Procedure Handbook/Manual
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Supplement to the Journal of American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, Volume 30, Number 2, 2002, see NCJ-195960-63

Annotation

This is a practice guideline for forensic psychiatric evaluation of defendants raising the insanity defense.

Abstract

The insanity defense is a legal construct that, under some circumstances, excuses mentally ill defendants from legal responsibility for criminal behavior. The ability to evaluate whether defendants meet a jurisdiction's test for a finding of not criminally responsible is a core competency in forensic psychiatry. The report acknowledges differences between ethics guidelines and legal jurisdictional requirements. Jurisdictional rules of discovery or hearsay, among others, may compel the forensic psychiatrist to conform to different practices. The document discusses the history of the insanity defense and the M'Naghten Rule for judging insanity; the Insanity Defense Reform Act; substance abuse and the insanity defense; non-traditional mental conditions considered in insanity defense cases; and State and Federal standards for what justifies an insanity defense. References