Assignment : Individual Research Task

Individual Research: Overview

As a forensic psychology professional, you need to critically analyze statutory and case laws related to psycholegal issues and correctly apply the knowledge from your analysis in your work. The individual research course projects will provide you with the opportunity to analyze the landmark cases related to psycholegal issues.

In Module 1, identify at least one landmark legal case or court decision for each of these important psycholegal areas: CST, criminal responsibility (MSO), the right to mental health treatment, the right to refuse psychiatric treatment, coercion to mental health treatment, and participation in treatment and civil commitment of sex offenders.

Critically analyze the essence of the selected cases.

You may be asking what it means to discuss the "essence" of a court decision. The essence of a court decision involves two things: (1) the issue under dispute and (2) how the court decided that issue. You can usually summarize this information in one or two paragraphs. Remember that you need to identify the final decision by the highest court. Landmark cases are almost always the cases that have been appealed to higher courts for a ruling on an issue of law.

Looking Ahead

Through Modules 2 and 3, you should continue to conduct research on professional literature to find additional information regarding the selected cases to create a case report. Note that professional literature may include the Argosy University online library resources, relevant textbooks, peer-reviewed journal articles, and websites created by professional organizations, agencies, or institutions (.edu, .org, and .gov).

You may refer to the following links for additional information:

Landmark Cases of the US Supreme Court

Supreme Court of the U.S.

Google

US Supreme Court Center

In M4 Assignment 2, you will create and submit a case report for each case related to competency and criminal responsibility right to treatment, right to refuse treatment, coercion, and participation in treatment and civil commitment of sex offenders.

You are highly encouraged to work on these case reports on a weekly basis and not wait until Module 4 to complete. Write each case report in 2-3 paragraphs, providing your analysis and interpretation of the case. In addition, analyze the roles and responsibilities of a forensic psychology professional in the circumstances presented in each case.

Note: Remember that you do not need to use the sample report in this assignment. You only need to write about the essence of the case. You will utilize the sample case format in Module 4.

Landmark Case Selection

In this assignment, you will research specific cases, describe the essence of each case, and critically analyze how each relates to the practice of forensic psychology.

Tasks:

Select one case for each of the following six legal areas:

CST

Criminal responsibility (MSO)

Right to receive mental health treatment

Right to refuse psychiatric treatment

Coercion to mental health treatment

Participation in treatment and civil commitment of sex offenders

Conduct individual research from professional literature to critically analyze the essence of the selected cases in forensic psychology. Note that professional literature may include the Argosy University online library resources, relevant textbooks, peer-reviewed journal articles, and websites created by professional organizations, agencies, or institutions (.edu, .org, and .gov). Present your choices, as well as your critical analysis of the essence of each case, in 2- to 3-paragraphs in a Microsoft Word document.

All written assignments and responses should follow APA rules for attributing sources.

1 Discussion

Discussion Topic

Assignment 1: Assault in the City: CST and Criminal Responsibility at the Time of Offense

Click here to study a vignette.

Assault in the City

The chief asks Dr. Johnson to conduct a competency to stand trial (CST) evaluation and a criminal responsibility evaluation, referred to as the mental state at the time of an offense (MSO), of the defendant. Dr. Johnson must report her findings to the court. She has already seen media publicity suggesting the prosecutor is going to play "hard ball" and wants to try the young man as an adult and seek the longest possible prison sentence.

The chief recommends a CST evaluation and an MSO evaluation so, as he says, "nothing will come back to bite them" after the trial. Although she finds the young man's alleged behavior reprehensible, she feels confident she can conduct an objective evaluation.

She has interviewed the individual and understands his low intelligence quotient (IQ) and dysfunctional family background as mitigating factors. Although she does not wish to advocate for the defendant, she feels he may not be competent to go to trial. She prepares to conduct the CST and MSO evaluations. However, the day before the examination is scheduled, her fifteen-year-old daughter tells her the man was a "friend" on her computer social network. She recognized his face from the news and told her mother after her mother mentioned she was working on this case.

The daughter denies having ever met the man and states her page is set so "anyone can be my friend; it doesn't mean I know them!" Dr. Johnson must now conduct the evaluations objectively, although she feels her daughter may have been threatened. She realizes this connection is insufficient to withdraw from the case.

Tasks:

On the basis of the vignette you read, respond to the following:

Define competency to stand trial and indicate the standard used for juvenile and adult competency. Discuss the landmark case(s) relevant to competency determinations.

Describe the elements or issues that a mental health professional usually focuses on when assessing a person's competence to stand trial.

On the basis of the information you have from the vignette, provide an opinion on the defendant's competence to stand trial.

Assault in the City

The defendant has been found guilty of three counts of sexual battery. The other witnesses were reluctant to testify, and the assistant district attorney (ADA) felt that the three counts would suffice for a lengthy prison sentence. However, the defendant is seventeen years old. Dr. Shayleigh Johnson has been asked to evaluate him to assist in the sentencing. The defendant can be sentenced to adult prison or juvenile corrections. Dr. Johnson is asked to evaluate his amenability to treatment, conduct a risk assessment, and recommend what, if any, treatment should be pursued.

Tasks:

On the basis of the vignette you read, write a paper supported by appropriate, peer-reviewed sources and case law that responds to the following:

* Define risk of dangerousness and discuss the relevant landmark court cases relevant to this psycholegal issue.

* Discuss the relevance of the defendant's age to a risk of dangerousness assessment.

* Describe the elements or issues that a mental health professional usually focuses on when assessing a person's risk of dangerousness.

* On the basis of the information you have from the vignette, provide an opinion on the defendant's risk of dangerousness.

* Define insanity and discuss the relevant landmark court cases relevant to this psycholegal issue.

* Discuss the relevance, if any, of the defendant's age to a determination of mental status at the time of the offense.

* Describe the elements or issues that a mental health professional usually focuses on when assessing a person's mental status at the time of the offense.

* Discuss the potential ethical concerns that may be encountered by a forensic professional in the evaluation and assessment of each of these psycholegal issues.

* Discuss the potential impact of an individual's culture in the evaluation and assessment of each of these psycholegal issues.

* On the basis of the information you have from the vignette, provide an opinion on the defendant's likelihood of using an insanity defense.

* Use resources from professional literature to support your analysis. The professional literature may include relevant textbooks; peer-reviewed journal articles; and websites created by professional organizations, agencies, or institutions (.edu, .org, and .gov).

* All written assignments and responses should follow APA rules for attributing sources.