Criminal Law Paper Cja 354

Criminal Law Paper

CJA/354

January 10, 2013

Criminal Law Paper

Many cases have come into play throughout the past several years concerning the mentally disabled and crimes, such as the case of Atkins v. Virginia; where the Supreme Court decided that putting an individual with a mental illness to death is not an acceptable or fitting punishment. However, many other cases just as this one have been brought before the Supreme Court, and several states have in fact executed individuals who did in fact suffer from a mental illness. Many wonder why this is.

There was a case last Month that was brought to the Supreme Court by a mentally ill woman Teresa Sheehan. Sheehan resided in San Francisco in a group home when a social worker called 911 and indicated that she was concerned that it was very probable that Sheehan posed a risk not only to herself, but to others as well. Shortly after the 911 call two police officers arrived, and Sheehan warned the officers that if they went into her room she would kill them (Jones, 2014). The officers did not pay any attention to her threat and entered her room anyhow and Sheehan then took it upon herself to brandish a knife, and it was reported that the two police officers then shot Sheehan approximately five times (Jones, 2014). Surprisingly, Sheehan lived and she is contending that to a degree, the officers violated her rights under the ADA’s decree that individuals with disabilities must be accommodated in public services (Jones, 2014).

Emergency calls associated with mental illness

Last month The Supreme Court decided they would tackle this question. The outcome could undoubtedly impact how many police departments, along with departments in Colorado, react to an increasing amount of 911 calls associated with mental-health dilemmas and sometimes extremely critical situations such as this one, and the actions that police officers should abide by prior to utilizing deadly force (Jones, 2014). The panel stated that the...