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Dec 18, 2020 · Minassian pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of 1st-degree murder, 16 of attempted murder. Boris Bytensky, Minassian's lawyer, said in his closing arguments Thursday that his client's autism spectrum ...
Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Vineland and the ADOS, 37 J. AUTISM & DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS 748–752 (2006). 4 Susanna Baldwin, Debra Costley & Anthony Warren, Employment Activities and Experiences of Adults with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger’s Disorder, 44 JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS 2440– 2441 (2014).
- Autism Generally
- ASD and The Criminal Justice System
- Criminal Intent, Diminished Capacity, and ASD
- Judicial Response
- Policy Considerations and Recommendations
The DSM-V defines ASD as “a group of pervasive developmental disorders characterized by impairments in social communication, social interaction and social imagination” (APA 2013). Autism consists of a grouping of complex neurodevelopment symptoms signifying brain disorders that are unique to the individual (Cohen, Dickerson & Forbes, 2014). These s...
Researchers agree that most individuals with high functioning ASD are law abiding citizens who are more likely to be victims of crimes than commit crimes, but they are still seven times more likely to intersect with the criminal justice system than individuals without ASD (Berryessa, 2014). ASD individuals can exhibit behaviors that expose them to ...
There are some instances when evidence shows that a person has not formed the criminal intent necessary to satisfy one of the basic elements of a crime—the mens rea. In yet other instances, a person may have some form of criminal intent, but it is reduced by some other factor (Hall, 2015). Those factors include mental illness, low intelligence, exc...
Although most with an ASD will not commit crimes, courts must understand how to handle requests to admit expert testimony in those cases where a criminal defendant shows signs and symptoms (or a diagnosis) of ASD. Because ASD often impacts not only the individual’s reasoning process in crime commission but also one’s ability to fully assist counsel...
As Woodbury-Smith & Dein (2014) suggest, an integrated approach between mental health and criminal justice professionals is a must in order to handle the unique issues associated with those with ASD who offend. Their suggestions of including a forensic mental health specialist in the criminal court system or diverting ASD defendants entirely from t...
October 18, 2023. Addressing the Misuse of Autism as a Legal Defense in Criminal Trials. [Toronto, Ontario] Autism Ontario is deeply troubled by the recent developments in two ongoing criminal trials in Ontario, where the defense has cited autism as a mitigating factor in the alleged crimes. Both legal teams are attempting to establish a ...
Sep 18, 2009 · If an autistic person kills someone and is a danger to others, some form of imprisonment makes sense, even if the person does not know what he did. Hopefully the prison mental health units ...
- Jonathan Levy
Aug 27, 2019 · Unfortunately, understanding perspective-taking characteristics in adults has been neglected by researchers—although there have been some attempts to measure these characteristics, with a recent ...
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Mar 9, 2022 · The behavioural and cognitive difficulties of some adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may increase their risk of contact with the criminal justice system (CJS) as a potential suspect. There has been limited investigation of ASD and offending and available evidence is mixed.
