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Doe v. Ayers
The Ninth Circuit upheld the conviction but overturned the death sentence. Defense counsel failed to investigate crucial mitigating evidence, including prison sexual abuse and trauma.
Davis v Ayala
The Supreme Court ruled excluding the defense from hearings was harmless. Justice Kennedy's concurrence highlighted the severe impact of solitary confinement, suggesting a need to reconsider long-term confinement systems.
State v. Taylor G.
The court allowed expert testimony on child sexual trauma, recognizing it helps juries understand delayed disclosure and memory issues, aiding in victim credibility assessment.
Sykes v. State
The DE Supreme Court ruled that judges must consider childhood abuse, trauma, and possible brain impairment during capital sentencing. Such evidence does not need to directly explain the offense.
Commonwealth v. Gomes
The Court affirmed convictions but ruled trial judges should give enhanced jury instructions on eyewitness identification. These instructions must reflect scientific research on memory and perception.
Untested Assumptions: Psychological Research and Credibility Assessment in Legal Decision-Making
Trauma survivors often interact with the legal system. This paper examines how trauma research can improve justice in refugee law and sexual assault cases, especially when objective evidence is absent.
Developmental Trends in False Memory Across Adolescence and Young Adulthood: a Comparison of DRM and Memory Conformity Paradigms
This study examined false memory development across adolescence and young adulthood. Findings reveal that false memory errors can increase with age, a concept known as developmental reversals.
Brain Structural Correlates of Risk-Taking Behavior and Effects of Peer Influence in Adolescents
Adolescents take more risks in the presence of peers due to heightened reward sensitivity and immature cognitive control. Brain imaging shows peers increase reward-related brain activity during risk-taking.
Does Perceived Racial Discrimination Predict Changes in Psychological Distress and Substance Use Over Time? An Examination Among Black Emerging Adults
Research shows perceived racial discrimination contributes to psychological distress and substance use in Black Americans, particularly during emerging adulthood. These experiences act as a socially-derived stressor.
Effects of Anonymous Peer Observation on Adolescents' Preference for Immediate Rewards
Adolescents engage in more risky behavior, especially with peers present, compared to adults. This is linked to increased reward sensitivity and still-developing cognitive control in the adolescent brain.
US v. Kamper
The Sixth Circuit ruled that drug addiction alone does not justify a lighter sentence for child pornography distribution. The court found addiction insufficient grounds for a downward variance.
State v. Castaneda
The Nebraska Supreme Court vacated Juan Castaneda’s mandatory life sentences for murders committed at age 15. This ruling followed a U.S. Supreme Court decision that mandatory juvenile life sentences are unconstitutional.
State v. Ramirez
The Nebraska Supreme Court vacated a juvenile's mandatory life without parole sentence for murder. The court ruled Nebraska's law was unconstitutional, requiring individualized sentencing instead.
State v. Mantich
The Nebraska Supreme Court vacated a life sentence for Douglas Mantich, who was 15 when convicted of murder. His mandatory life sentence violated the Eighth Amendment as functionally equivalent to life without parole for a juvenile.
People v. Davis
The Illinois Supreme Court vacated a life sentence for a defendant convicted of murder at age 14. Mandatory life without parole for juveniles is cruel and unusual punishment.