The Verdict Isn't Always Guilty

Punishing the insane: the verdict of guilty but mentally ill.

The defense of not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI) has been a part of English jurisprudence at least since the reign of King Aethelred in the 10th century and today is an important aspect of American law. Some form of insanity defense appears to be an element of due process. Those states that have successfully abolished the insanity defense provide for introduction of psychiatric testimony ...

Metformin causing vitamin B12 deficiency: a guilty verdict without sufficient evidence.

Metformin causing vitamin B12 (B12) deficiency has become a traditional myth in medical literature (1,2). But what evidence do we have? The possibility to measure holotranscobalamin (active B12) and the metabolic marker, methylmalonic acid (MMA), has changed the practice of diagnosing B12 deficiency in recent years. We have learned that not all low plasma B12 means a “deficiency” and not all hi...

Guilty verdict in a murder committed by a veteran with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder as a consequence of military service in Vietnam has gained visibility and attention by both mental health professionals and the general public. I • As awareness of this disorder increases, it has begun to surface as a successful legal defense against criminal responsibility for both violent and non-violent crimes.:1•4•5 Psychiatrists are being called on by both th...

Verdict in the smooth muscle KATP channel case: guilty of blood pressure control but innocent of sudden death phenotype.

The Verdict Is In

While many schools of psychotherapy have held that our early experiences with our caretakers have a powerful impact on our adult functioning, there have been plenty of hard-nosed academics and researchers who've remained unconvinced. Back in 1968, psychologist Walter Mischel created quite a stir when he challenged the concept that we even have a core personality that organizes our behavior, con...