Commonwealth v. Shanley
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Summary

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court held that expert testimony on dissociative amnesia and recovered memories was sufficiently reliable and admissible, allowing the jury to assess delayed recollections of childhood sexual abuse.

2010 | State Juristiction

Commonwealth v. Shanley

Keywords dissociative amnesia; recovered memories; expert testimony; child sexual abuse; delayed recollections; admissible; childhood abuse; trauma
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Summary

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court determined that expert testimony regarding dissociative amnesia and memories that have been recovered is dependable enough to be presented in court. This decision permits a jury to consider accounts of childhood sexual abuse that were remembered years later.

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Summary

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court determined that expert testimony regarding dissociative amnesia and recovered memories met the standards for reliability and admissibility. This ruling permits juries to consider testimony concerning childhood sexual abuse that has been recollected at a later time.

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Summary

The highest court in Massachusetts, the Supreme Judicial Court, decided that expert opinions about dissociative amnesia and memories that come back later could be trusted enough to be used in court. This decision allows juries to consider memories of childhood sexual abuse that were remembered much later.

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Summary

A high court in Massachusetts decided that experts can talk about a type of memory loss called dissociative amnesia. They can also discuss memories that come back later. The court said this information is good enough for a jury to hear. This means a jury can think about memories of child abuse that people remember much later.

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Footnotes and Citation

Cite

Commonwealth v. Shanley, 455 Mass. 752 (2010)

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