"Szasz troubles the dark, still waters of psychiatry and the law. He peeps beneath the crazy quilt of federal and state procedures which render impotent the constitutional right to a speedy and public trial. . . . This book will delight the lawyer by its brief-like style, and the non-lawyer will be attracted by the use of trial transcripts which lend both the suspense and tension of courtroom drama."—National Review
"Obviously, society has the right—and the need—to protect itself from the antisocial acts of the mentally disturbed. But surely, as Dr. Szasz makes clear, it must not load the dice against the individual facing a powerful court and prosecution. Because Dr. Szasz sees this issue so clearly, his book deserves a wide readership."—The Wall Street Journal
Description
Psychiatric Justice explores the intersection of psychiatry and law, arguing that pretrial psychiatric examinations and subsequent hospitalizations often undermine justice rather than serve it. The book presents four case histories to illustrate this point, challenging both legal and medical professionals to reconsider their approaches.
Table of Contents
Part I
1. Incompetence to stand trial: Diagnosis or Strategy?
2. Laws Pertaining to the Mental Competence of the Defendant
3. The Psychiatrist as Adversary
Part II
4· The Case of Mr. Louis Perroni
5· The Case of Mr. Abraham Hoffer
6. The Case of Mr. Edwin A. Walker
7. The Case of Mr. Frederick Lynch
Part III
8. Review and Recommendations
9. Summary
Index
Afterword
About the Author
Thomas Szasz was professor emeritus of psychiatry at the State University of New York’s Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York. His books include Law, Liberty, and Psychiatry, The Manufacture of Madness, Ideology and Insanity, Ceremonial Chemistry, The Myth of Psychotherapy, and Pharmacracy, all published by Syracuse University Press.
5.25 x 8.25, 298 pages
December 1988