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Berryessa CM, Milner LC, Garrison NA, et al. Impact of Psychiatric Information on Potential Jurors in Evaluating High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (hfASD). J Ment Health Res Intellect Disabil. 2015;8(3):140-167doi: 10.1080/19315864.2015.1040176.
Berryessa, C. M., Milner, L. C., Garrison, N. A., & Cho, M. K. (2015). Impact of Psychiatric Information on Potential Jurors in Evaluating High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (hfASD). Journal of mental health research in intellectual disabilities, 8(3), 140-167. https://doi.org/10.1080/19315864.2015.1040176
Berryessa, Colleen M, et al. "Impact of Psychiatric Information on Potential Jurors in Evaluating High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (hfASD)." Journal of mental health research in intellectual disabilities vol. 8,3 (2015): 140-167. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/19315864.2015.1040176
Berryessa CM, Milner LC, Garrison NA, Cho MK. Impact of Psychiatric Information on Potential Jurors in Evaluating High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (hfASD). J Ment Health Res Intellect Disabil. 2015 Jul 01;8(3):140-167. doi: 10.1080/19315864.2015.1040176. Epub 2015 May 28. PMID: 26843900; PMCID: PMC4733480.
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J Ment Health Res Intellect Disabil. 2015 Jul 01;8(3):140-167. doi: 10.1080/19315864.2015.1040176. Epub 2015 May 28.

Impact of Psychiatric Information on Potential Jurors in Evaluating High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (hfASD).

Journal of mental health research in intellectual disabilities

Colleen M Berryessa, Lauren C Milner, Nanibaa' A Garrison, Mildred K Cho

Affiliations

  1. Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics Stanford University, and Department of Criminology University of Pennsylvania.
  2. Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics Stanford University.
  3. Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society Vanderbilt University, and Department of Pediatrics Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
  4. Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics Stanford University, and Department of Pediatrics Stanford School of Medicine.

PMID: 26843900 PMCID: PMC4733480 DOI: 10.1080/19315864.2015.1040176

Abstract

During a trial involving an offender with a mental disorder, jurors are often required to evaluate information on the disorder and its characteristics. This evaluation relies on how jurors understand and synthesize psychiatric and other evidence on the disorder and this information's impact on the case, an offender's culpability, and the rendered verdict. The importance of this evaluation is further highlighted when jurors are faced with evaluating a disorder that may be associated with criminal actions of diagnosed offenders, such as high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (hfASD). We designed a three-part survey to assess potential jurors' attitudes concerning an offender's diagnosis with hfASD in terms of perceptions and decisions surrounding legal and moral responsibility, personal characteristics of the offender, the introduction of psychiatric and genetic information, and the condition's influence on the facts of the case. A sample of 623 jury-eligible U.S. adults completed the survey. We found the majority of participants were influenced by the information provided on hfASD. Most respondents indicated that hfASD diagnosis should generally not affect the legal responsibility of an offender, but many reported the disorder as a mitigating factor when evaluating moral responsibility and legal consequences for criminal actions. Respondents reported favorable and sympathetic perceptions of individuals with autism and associated characteristics but were unsure, even after the presentation of psychiatric information on hfASD, if these disorders should be classified as "mental illness." Further, the majority reported their views were in some way influenced by the fact that hfASD has potential genetic origins.

Keywords: decision making; high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (hfASD); jury; psychiatric evidence; responsibility

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