The processing and disposition of incompetent mentally ill offenders

Pretrial hospitalization of mentally ill offenders has been increasing in recent years and a number of abuses have been noted with respect to competency to stand trial. This is a report on 431 male felony defendants who were found incompetent to stand trial, hospitalized, and returned to court for a final disposition. Approximately one-half of those brought back to the court gained release to the community, with one-half continuing to be held in a hospital or a prison, and with 70% continuing in treatment in one setting or another. Disposition was significantly related to race, criminal history, severity of charges, and the recommendations of mental health professionals. Offenders were found to have spent unnecessarily long periods of time in jail and in the hospital awaiting court processing, raising questions about the fairness and efficiency of current procedures.     

Attribution styles and attitudes toward capital punishment for juveniles,the mentally incompetent,and the mentally retarded

This study used attribution theory to explain respondents' levels of support for the death penalty for juveniles, the mentally ill, and the mentally retarded via the administration of a quasi-experimental factorial survey to 697 subjects who were called for jury service. The results indicate that the respondents with dispositional attribution styles were significantly more likely to recommend a death sentence than were those with situational attirbution styles. Moreover, the study found that the effects of a large number of the “known correlates” of support for the death penalty were fully or substantially mediated by attribution theory measures. The substantive, theoretical, methodological, and legal/policy implications of the study are discussed.     

南通智障少女子宫切除案的法律思考——论智障者知情同意权的行使

南通智障少女子宫切除案件对社会的触动，暴露出了我国智障未成年人知情同意权行使规则的缺失。文章分析了案件的本质问题，通过对域外立法、判例之考察，提出粗浅的立法建议。     

南通智障少女子宫切除案的法律思考——论智障者知情同意权的行使

南通智障少女子宫切除案件对社会的触动,暴露出了我国智障未成年人知情同意权行使规则的缺失。文章分析了案件的本质问题,通过对域外立法、判例之考察,提出粗浅的立法建议。