Resource Library
New to the Resource Library?
Learn how to navigate, search, and use our resources effectively.
Thompson v. State
The court upheld a death sentence. It found the defendant understood his actions, disagreeing with the defense that trauma caused dissociation.
Civilian PTSD Symptoms and Risk for Involvement in the Criminal Justice System
Inner-city residents experience higher rates of trauma exposure and PTSD. This study explores the link between civilian PTSD and incarceration in an inner-city adult population.
Rhoades v. Henry
The court found that new expert opinions on the defendant's mental state were speculative and did not show that lawyer error impacted the case outcome. Strong aggravating evidence weighed against prejudice claims.
State v. Folk
The Idaho Supreme Court overturned a conviction, finding no evidence that a defendant's voice would traumatize a child witness. Restrictions on cross-examination were therefore unsupported.
State v. Stewart
The court reversed a murder conviction, ruling that evidence of decades of abuse was relevant. Cumulative trauma can impact reasoning and intent, affecting premeditation and malice.
Commonwealth v. Shanley
The court ruled expert testimony on recovered memories and dissociative amnesia is reliable enough for juries to consider delayed recollections of childhood sexual abuse.
Substance Use, Childhood Traumatic Experience, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in an Urban Civilian Population
Childhood trauma significantly raises the risk of adult psychiatric disorders and substance abuse. Studies show a strong link between early trauma, PTSD, and substance use, with timing and type of trauma influencing outcomes.
Understanding and Treating Unwanted Trauma Memories in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
People with PTSD often reexperience brief, vivid sensory impressions of a traumatic event. These intrusive memories feel like they are happening in the present, lack context, are easily triggered, and cause significant distress.
Porter v. McCollum
The Supreme Court ruled that a lawyer's failure to investigate a client's combat trauma and brain impairment harmed the defense, as this evidence could have changed the jury's sentencing decision.
Patterson v. Board of Trustees, State Police Retirement System
The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that severe mental injuries can qualify for accidental disability benefits, but only if caused by a terrifying event that threatened physical safety or involved death or serious injury.
Council v. State
The South Carolina Supreme Court granted a new penalty hearing. The Court found counsel ineffective for failing to present mitigating evidence of the defendant's mental health issues and traumatic past.
Allen v. Bloomfield Hills Sch. Dist.
The court ruled PTSD can be a bodily injury with objective medical evidence of brain changes. Expert testimony connecting trauma to brain abnormalities was enough to proceed.
Ryder v. USAA Gen. Indem. Co.
The court ruled severe emotional trauma is a bodily injury under insurance if it's a diagnosable mental illness. Serious psychological harm can trigger policy coverage.
Scarver v Litscher
Prison officials were not liable for an inmate's worsened mental illness after solitary confinement. The court found no deliberate indifference, as officials lacked clear prior knowledge of the specific harm.
State v. Paiz
The court upheld testimony about PTSD symptoms after sexual abuse. It affirmed that qualified experts can explain treatment-based diagnoses.