Criminal Law

Florida Inmate's Death Sentence Reduced to Life

Posted on February 01, 2008
According to the Pensacola News Journal (January 31, 2008), the Florida Supreme Court has reduced the death sentence of Ryan Thomas Green, who was convicted and sentenced to death in January 2006 for the death of 59-year-old James Hallman, a retired Pensacola police sergeant:"[The] Court overruled the trial judge's sentence because Green suffered from schizophrenia and was unable to fully appreciate the consequences of his actions, according to the opinion released Thursday...

Interim Senate Committe Charges to the 80th Legislature

Posted on January 30, 2008
One of the items included among Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst's interim charges to the Senate Criminal Justice Committee of the 80th Legislature relates to mental health: "Study the relationship between the public mental health system and the criminal justice and civil courts systems, including the identification and sharing of information regarding mentally ill offenders, including minors, among criminal justice and mental health agencies, the courts, state hospitals, and the Veterans Administration...

Texas Chief Justice Task Force Sets Goals for 2008

Posted on January 24, 2008
Here's another item that appeared in the January 2008 newsletter of the Consensus Project:"The Texas Chief Justice Task Force, led by the Honorable Sharon Keller, Presiding Judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, has set forth a series of goals for 2008 that will build on successes in the past year and improve outcomes for people with mental illnesses involved with the criminal justice system...

U.S. House Passes Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act

Posted on January 24, 2008
Yesterday, January 23, 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act (MIOTCRRIA), H.R. 3992.Here's a statement from leaders of the Council of State Governments Justice Center, which appears in the January 2008 newsletter of the Consensus Project...

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Where Do the Presidential Candidates Stand on Mental Health Issues?

Posted on January 22, 2008
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has released the responses it has received thus far from the presidential candidates to its questionnaire on a variety of mental health issues. The survey includes several questions related to jail diversion programs for non-violent offenders with mental illness...

Criminal Justice and Mental Illness in Travis County

Posted on January 16, 2008
KUT, the public radio station in Austin, recently aired a story about efforts to stem the criminalization of people with mental illness in Travis County. The bottom line? More money is needed for programs that provide treatment for those with mental illness and help keep them out of jail...

Increased Incidents of Violence Among Returning War Veterans

Posted on January 14, 2008
Commondreams.org has posted an article that appeared today (January 14, 2008) in The Independent/UK regarding the increase in violent crimes committed by those returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.Here are some excerpts from "Traumatised Veterans ?Have Killed 120 in US?", by Stephen Foley:"While public anger is directed at the Pentagon for sending American soldiers ill-prepared to fight in Iraq, an equally troubling problem is rearing its head at home...

New date set for Coble punishment trial

Posted on January 10, 2008
According to the Waco Tribune-Herald (January 10, 2008), Judge Matt Johnson of Waco?s 54th State District Court has set August 4 as the date to begin jury selection for a new sentencing hearing for Billie Wayne Coble. Coble's death sentence was overturned last year by the 5th U...

Jail Diversion Program in Dallas County

Posted on January 07, 2008
Here's an article that appeared last month in the Dallas Morning News (December 19, 2007), which focuses on Dallas County's jail diversion program for offenders with mental illness:http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/localnews/columnists/jfloyd/stories/DN-floyd_19met...

Mental Health-Related Actions of the 80th Texas Legislature

Posted on January 07, 2008
The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health recently released its "Legislative Update: A Guide to the Mental Health-Related Actions of the 80th Texas Legislature." This summary of mental health-related actions by the 80th Texas Legislature is now available online: http://www...

Austin Police Department Assist Those with Mental Illness

Posted on December 31, 2007
From the Austin American-Statesman, December 29, 2007:Protecting and serving the mentally ill: Austin police crisis officers strain to fill gaps in mental health care in the face of budget cuts, growing caseloadBy Joshunda SandersWillie, 71, was muttering to himself underneath a dying palm tree in his Clarksville front yard when Austin police officers Donnie Williamson and Kim Devitt showed up...

Mental Health Court in El Paso

Posted on December 11, 2007
From the El Paso Times, December 10, 2007:"A new mental health court intervention and treatment program was created today by a unanimous vote by Commissioners Court.The new court will address mental health issues among adult criminal offenders, including counseling services, treatment, supervision and mental health assessments...

An Innovative Approach to Prevention

Posted on December 10, 2007
Residents of Frederick County, Maryland soon will have access to first aid for mental health concerns, according to an interesting article that appeared December 8 in the Frederick News Post.Maryland's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is piloting the program, which offers a 12-hour training course to community volunteers...

A Dangerous Wait for Treatment

Posted on December 10, 2007
Here are some excerpts from an article that appeared on December 9, 2007 in the Austin-American Statesman, "After policy change, ERs seeing more mentally ill patients":"It's been one month since Austin's mental health authority slashed the number of patients it sends to the Austin State Hospital...

Court to Rule on Acting As Own Lawyer

Posted on December 10, 2007
From the Austin-American Statesman, December 7, 2007:"The Supreme Court said Friday it will review whether a defendant who is judged competent to stand trial has the right to be his own lawyer, even if he has a history of serious mental illness.Ahmad Edwards was convicted of attempted murder and other charges in 2005 following a shooting at an Indianapolis department store in 1999...

The Challenges of Involuntary Commitment

Posted on November 29, 2007
The Washington Post (November 28, 2007) features an informative article about the challenges related to involuntary commitment procedures for people with mental illness. Most states require those exhibiting symptoms of mental illness to pose an "imminent threat" to themselves or others before they are committed to a mental health facility against their will...

Sugar Land man found not guilty of by reason of insanity

Posted on November 29, 2007
According to the Houston Chronicle (November 29, 2007), Tristan Williams, a 20-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing his mother, was found not guilty by reason of insanity by a Fort Bend County court. Williams, who was 17 at the time of the slaying, will be sent to a maximum security mental health facility for treatment, according to court documents...

League of Women Voters of Texas Oppose Death Penalty for the Mentally Ill

Posted on November 13, 2007
The League of Women Voters of Texas' position on the death penalty includes a call to prohibit the execution of the mentally ill. The League's Fall 2007 newsletter, "Texas Voter," features a comprehensive article about mental illness and the death penalty and encourages League members to obtain a copy of a new Mental Illness and the Death Penalty Organizing Packet and postcards...

House Committee Passes MIOTCRA

Posted on November 13, 2007
Here's an update from the Consensus Project on the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act (MIOTCRA):"On November 7, 2007, just a week after the introduction of the bill, members of the full House Judiciary Committee passed H...

"60 Minutes" Segment on Mentally Ill Inmate in Tennessee

Posted on November 12, 2007
Last night, the CBS News program "60 Minutes" featured an interview with Gregory Thompson, a severely mentally ill man who has been on death row in Tennessee for more than 20 years. His lawyers did not raise evidence of his mental illness during his trial...

Congress Introduces the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act

Posted on November 02, 2007
From the Consensus Project Newsletter, November 2007:"This week U.S. Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Pete Domenici (R-NM), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Arlen Specter (R-PA), and U.S. Representatives Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Randy Forbes (R-VA) introduced the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act...

New resources addressing stigma and discrimination

Posted on November 01, 2007
The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration Center for Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) has redesigned its Resource Center to Address Discrimination and Stigma Associated with Mental Illness. The new library contains more than 600 resources...

New mental health program in Harris County jail

Posted on November 01, 2007
KHOU.com reports on a new program in the Harris County jail that will address the needs of inmates with mental illness. "On any given day there are 9,000 inmates there. About 20 percent of them have a history of mental illness. The jail has now formed a new mental health unit make up of 61 specially trained officers...

ABA Article on Mental Disability and Capital Punishment

Posted on October 24, 2007
The Spring 2007 issue of Human Rights Magazine, a quarterly publication of the American Bar Association's Section on Individual Rights and Responsibilities, now is available online. This issue focuses on various aspects of the death penalty and includes an article by Ron Tabak entitled "Mental Disability and Capital Punishment: A More Rational Approach to a Disturbing Subject...

Advancing Mental Health through Consumer Involvement

Posted on October 19, 2007
Next Thursday, October 25th, the Texas Health Institute will host a forum entitled "Advancing Mental Health through Consumer Involvement." The forum will examine the current state of consumer involvement in Texas and the United States. Speakers include: Stephany Bryan, Technical Assistance Coordinator, Federation of FamiliesMaria Felix-Ortiz, Ph...

The history of HPD crisis team and why city needs it

Posted on October 17, 2007
That's the title of an op-ed that appeared this past Sunday in the Houston Chronicle by Betsy Schwartz and Steven Schnee. Schwartz is the president and CEO of the Mental Health Association of Greater Houston. Schnee is executive director of the Mental Health and Mental Retardation Authority of Harris County...

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