Deck 9: Criminal Responsibility and Competency to Stand Trial

Question 1

What would an individual who commits a crime caused by a disease of the mind use as his or her defence?

A) psycho-automatism
B) being not criminally responsible
C) noninsane automatism
D) insane automatism

Answer 1

insane automatism

Question 2

Defence attorneys have concerns about their clients' competency to stand trial in approximately what percentage of cases?

A) 10-15 percent
B) 25-30 percent
C) 50-60 percent
D) more than 75 percent

Answer 2

10-15 percent

Question 3

What is the term for the amount and type of violence being predicted?

A) risk level
B) harm
C) imminent danger
D) risk factors

Answer 3

harm

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT a misconception of the public concerning the insanity defence?

A) that it is used by a large number of defendants
B) that when it is used,it is often successful
C) that those acquitted with this defence are usually released
D) that defendants get a "lighter" sentence when using this defence

Question 5

What definition of insanity is currently used in Canada?

A) NCRMD
B) McNaughton Rules
C) NGRI
D) Durham rule

Question 6

Distinguishing between right and wrong is central to which definition of insanity?

A) Durham rule
B) McNaughton Rules
C) ALI standard
D) Brawner rule

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT included in the definition of competent to stand trial?

A) ability to understand the nature or object of the proceedings
B) ability to understand the possible consequences of the proceedings
C) ability to recall the alleged offence
D) ability to communicate with counsel

Question 8

Which instrument to assess competency uses hypothetical situations,in order to measure the defendant's understanding?

A) Fitness Interview Test-Revised
B) Competency Assessment Instrument
C) Georgia Court Competency Test
D) MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool-Criminal Adjudication

Question 9

Which definition of insanity is said to have precipitated the influx of psychiatrists and clinical psychologists as expert witnesses in NGRI trials?

A) McNaughton
B) Durham
C) Brawner
D) Porter

Question 10

Which definition of insanity includes two prongs: a cognitive aspect and a volitional aspect?

A) ALI standard
B) McNaughton Rules
C) Durham rule
D) GBMI standard

Question 11

Who decides whether an individual is fit to stand trial?

A) the jury
B) the Crown prosecutor
C) psychologists or psychiatrists
D) the judge

Question 12

Which of these is NOT a reason that it is so difficult for psychologists to evaluate NCRMD?

A) NCRMD and psychosis are not the same thing.
B) Defendants are not permitted to be tested after they are charged with a crime.
C) Criminal responsibility is a legal concept,not a psychiatric one.
D) Evaluation of a defendant's present status may not be relevant to his or her status when the act was committed.

Question 13

What definition of insanity was developed as a result of a case involving the attempted assassination of a British prime minister?

A) McNaughton
B) Durham
C) irresistible impulse standard
D) ALI standard

Question 14

What does mens rea mean?

A) the inability to suppress an impulse to commit a forbidden act
B) that a defendant is competent to stand trial
C) the mental state of knowing the nature and quality of a forbidden act,or "a guilty mind"
D) the mental state at the time a particular behaviour is committed

Question 15

Which of the following was NOT a finding of the study on NCRMD conducted in British Columbia?

A) More individuals were found NCRMD than had been found NGRI.
B) The average hospitalization stay was less for NCRMD than NGRI.
C) A large number of NCRMD individuals were convicted of new charges following their discharge.
D) The majority of the NCRMD individuals were male.

Question 16

In Wanda's competency evaluation,the psychiatrist conducted a structured interview,addressing 13 functions relevant to competent functions at trial.What assessment instrument was being used?

A) Competency Screening Test
B) Competency Assessment Instrument
C) Interdisciplinary Fitness Interview
D) Georgia Court Competency Test

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT an instrument used to assess competency to stand trial?

A) Hare Revised Psychopathy Checklist
B) Competence Assessment Instrument
C) Georgia Court Competency Test
D) Fitness Interview Test-Revised

Question 18

Arthur is a defendant charged with kidnapping.His lawyer suspects that Arthur is not competent to stand trial,and the judge orders a competency evaluation.In the examination,Arthur is asked to complete a number of incomplete statements/sentences relevant to the legal system.What assessment instrument likely is being used?

A) Competency Screening Test
B) Competency Assessment Instrument
C) Interdisciplinary Fitness Interview
D) MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT included in the McNaughton Rules?

A) not knowing the difference between right and wrong
B) suffering from a disease of the mind
C) suffering from delusions
D) suffering from a defect of reason

Question 20

What was an unusual aspect of the trial of Jeffrey Dahmer?

A) The prosecution did not employ any expert witnesses.
B) No psychiatrists testified,only clinical psychologists.
C) The presiding judge asked several expert witnesses to testify.
D) All the expert witnesses came up with the same diagnosis.

Question 21

Clinical psychologists tend to predict that a smaller percentage of depressed patients will commit suicide than actually do.

Question 22

Contrast the McNaughton Rules,ALI standard,and NCRMD as definitions of insanity.

Question 23

Serin and Amos (1995)found that psychopaths were how many times more likely than nonpsychopaths to engage in violent recidivism within five years of their release?

A) 2
B) 5
C) 6
D) 7

Question 24

On the MMPI-2,which scale attempts to measure malingering?

A) L Scale
B) F Scale
C) M Scale
D) Fb Scale*

Question 25

What is the process by which information about an individual is reviewed and processed by the psychological evaluator in an intuitive way to make a prediction about the individual's actions or outcome?

A) psychiatric evaluation
B) psychiatric prediction
C) clinical evaluation
D) clinical prediction

Question 26

What comprises a 16-page structured interview covering signs of malingering?

A) SIRS
B) M test
C) Fb test
D) Malingering Probability Scale

Question 27

Very few civil psychiatric patients are psychopathic,compared to the proportion within the criminal offender population.

Question 28

Describe the historical background to insanity/NCRMD.

Question 29

Clinical prediction is more accurate than actuarial prediction,with regard to predicting future dangerousness.

Question 30

Which of the following is NOT associated with psychopathy during adolescence?

A) convictions for violent offences
B) a high level of institutional aggression
C) a high level of violent reoffending
D) a high level of suicide attempts

Question 31

Is NCRMD the same as psychosis?

Question 32

The key issue concerning whether a defendant is NCRMD is whether he or she currently has a mental illness.

Question 33

Corrado et al.(2004)found that for violent offences,psychopathic youth were charged with another offence,on average,how many months after release?

A) 25
B) 19
C) 14
D) 8

Question 34

Once an individual is found to be not criminally responsible by reason of mental disorder,where is he or she likely to be placed?

A) in a psychiatric hospital
B) in a federal prison
C) in city cells
D) back into his or her home

Question 35

In Canadian courts,an expert witness is allowed to testify,expressing an opinion on the ultimate issue (e.g. ,NCRMD)if specific guidelines are met.

Question 36

Why is determining whether a defendant is NCRMD difficult?

Question 37

Outline the three major McNaughton criteria regarding the insanity defence.

Question 38

In U.S.federal trials,an expert witness is allowed to testify,expressing an opinion whether the specific defendant was sane or insane.

Question 39

According to your text,after a one-year follow-up,what percentage of civil psychiatric patients with psychopathy had committed violence?

A) 25
B) 35
C) 50
D) 75

Question 40

Which of the following is NOT a type of malingerer?

A) coerced malingerer
B) pathogenic malingerer
C) adaptational malingerer
D) criminological malingerer

Question 41

How well are forensic psychologists able to predict future dangerousness to self or others?

Question 42

Distinguish between clinical prediction and actuarial prediction.Does one type seem to work better?

Question 43

Summarize the testimony of the expert witnesses in the trial of Jeffrey Dahmer.With which expert did you most agree? Why?

Question 44

Define competency.What types of competency exist? How are they assessed?

Question 45

In the Jeffrey Dahmer trial there was much disagreement among experts regarding his psychological state at the time of the murders.Describe the disagreements and the ultimate decision regarding sanity.

Question 46

Outline the major criteria for and distinctions of insane and noninsane automatism with a Canadian case example for each.

Question 47

Define ultimate-issue testimony.Is it allowed?

Question 48

What role does psychopathy play in risk assessment? Include information on two of the three populations discussed in your text.

Question 49

Define malingering.Describe the three types of malingerers in the classification scheme offered by Richard Rogers and colleagues.

Question 50

Describe how forensic psychologists assess criminal responsibility.

Question 51

Define risk assessment.

Question 52

Should psychologists be able to testify on the ultimate issue when the issue is criminal responsibility? Provide reasons to justify your answer.

Question 53

What was the verdict in John Hinckley's trial? What charges in federal laws resulted from this verdict?

Question 54

Describe the link between psychopathic traits and future aggression among young people with conduct problems.