1. Compulsive gambling and the changing military law
- Author
-
William S. Little and Fred S. Hecker
- Subjects
Sociology and Political Science ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Reform Act ,Face (sociological concept) ,Criminology ,medicine.disease ,Insanity defense ,Military justice ,Insanity ,Law ,medicine ,Relevance (law) ,Compulsive gambling ,Psychology ,General Psychology ,media_common - Abstract
Military courts have had to face the issue of compulsive gambling in criminal court-martial proceedings. The military recently switched from the liberal ALI definition of insanity to the much more stringent standards of the federal Insanity Defense Reform Act. However, military courts have not even allowed in expert testimony, holding the relevance of compulsive gambling has not been generally accepted in the scientific community. The rules involving extenuation or mitigation in sentencing allow much more leeway. Although compulsive gambling cannot be used as the basis for a defense of insanity in military courts, defense lawyers will continue to raise the issue in attempting to obtain lesser punishments for their military clients.
- Published
- 1988