hmmmmm ... sad crime article, inlcudes po | Autism PDD

gosh how horrible - how sad for the case worker and her family and he certainly sounds insane and should have a legal defense for that reason

Yeah it was all over the news when it happened and it seemed SO sad.

I am puzzled about why he is not being in any way protected due to his mental health?  Odd.  KS is odd, but that is a bit overmuch.

http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/196787.ht ml

This was handled discreetly, but the childhood symptom description does not look too good.

ETA: what EVER happened to the possibility of guilty by reason of insanity? 

Also other sources say his dx was schizotypal personality disorder ...

ETA later: I thought I was linking to the complete story -- let me see if I can find it!

http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/197718.html THIS is the entire story!

foxl39283.5445138889

 

"Unusual perceptual experiences??"

Diagnostic criteria for 301.22 Schizotypal Personality Disorder 
(cautionary statement)  

A. A pervasive pattern of social and interpersonal deficits marked by acute discomfort with, and reduced capacity for, close relationships as well as by cognitive or perceptual distortions and eccentricities of behavior, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following: 

(1) ideas of reference (excluding delusions of reference) 
(2) odd beliefs or magical thinking that influences behavior and is inconsistent with subcultural norms (e.g., superstitiousness, belief in clairvoyance, telepathy, or "sixth sense"; in children and adolescents, bizarre fantasies or preoccupations) 
(3) unusual perceptual experiences, including bodily illusions 
(4) odd thinking and speech (e.g., vague, circumstantial, metaphorical, overelaborate, or stereotyped) 
(5) suspiciousness or paranoid ideation 
(6) inappropriate or constricted affect 
(7) behavior or appearance that is odd, eccentric, or peculiar 
(8) lack of close friends or confidants other than first-degree relatives 
(9) excessive social anxiety that does not diminish with familiarity and tends to be associated with paranoid fears rather than negative judgments about self 

He did not have a real lawyer. Probably could not afford it. A public defender generally will nor take the initiative or the time to dig up the kind of details (such as medical dx and corresponding rights, extenuating circumstances, and stuff like that) that are sufficient to protect someone from the penalties associated with felony crimes such as murder, rape, sexual abuse, battery, and the like. There is nothing in it for the public defender whereas it would be for the real lawyer, who you not only pay out the @$$ for, but whose reputation is on the line as well.

At this point, however, he might be able to get a lawyer and go against the prosecution if he can prove that his mental illness actually impaired his judgement, because if there is a settlement to be had along with overturning the sentence, a good lawyer might take a case like that on consignment (i.e. he gets paid by taking a portion of your settlement).

Basically though, the judicial system is not kind to the poor.
stickboy2639283.5957175926

Nick, yeah, they ARE poor, his mother exhausted all her earnings on institutionalizing him ... but to me, that just says he has a HUGE case.  It is so depressing.  Certainly, not much "justice" in that.

I am not saying he should be let off, clearly, but there needs to be some kind of compassionate institutionalization for him. 

I guess now I just hope he is protected in prison ...

 

Copyright Autism-PDD.net