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Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), an increasingly recognized clinical syndrome, has emerged in the legal field as a diagnosis with significant implications. In criminal and civil matters alike, the mere suggestion [...]

forensic psychiatry, a specialized branch of medicine, deals with the interface of mental health and the law. Matters arise that encompass both the civil and criminal realms of law. When [...]

The growing awareness of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) has the potential to change the public perception and on-field rules of the National Football League (NFL). More than 3,000 ex-NFL players or their relatives are engaged in litigation alleging that the NFL failed to acknowledge and address the neuropsychiatric risks associated with brain injuries that result from playing in the NFL. This article explores the intersection between the medical and legal aspects of CTE in the NFL from a forensic psychiatry perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persons with dissociative identity disorder (DID) often present in the criminal justice system rather than the mental health system and perplex experts in both professions. DID is a controversial diagnosis with important medicolegal implications. Defendants have claimed that they committed serious crimes, including rape or murder, while they were in a dissociated state. Asserting that their alter personality committed the bad act, defendants have pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI). In such instances, forensic experts are asked to assess the defendant for DID and provide testimony in court. Debate continues over whether DID truly exists, whether expert testimony should be allowed into evidence, and whether it should exculpate defendants for their criminal acts. This article reviews historical and theoretical perspectives on DID, presents cases that illustrate the legal implications and controversies of raising an insanity defense based on multiple personalities, and examines the role of forensic experts asked to comment on DID with the goal of assisting clinicians in the medicolegal assessment of DID in relation to crimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Batterers are often identified in the criminal justice system after they have inflicted significant abuse on their victims. The increasing public health initiatives surrounding intimate partner violence focus on identification of victims and their protection. Little emphasis is placed, however, on the batterers themselves. Forensic specialists become involved in risk assessment for violence only after a perpetrator has inflicted significant damage on his victim and entered the criminal justice system. This article serves to bring awareness of the many factors, including neurobiology and neuropsychology, that contribute to the development of a batterer. Two instruments useful in identifying violence risk will be highlighted, along with a proposal for future research that could broaden risk assessment applications to other noncriminal settings, allowing for early detection and prevention of violent acts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]