Forensic Psychology Final Exam Questions
With Solved Solutions.
Forensic psychology is recognized as a specialty by the
___________________________ and by the
_____________________________.
American Board of Professional Psychology
American Psychological Association
T or F: The law permits and encourages the use of expert testimony on psychological topics.
True
A qualified expert can testify about a topic if testimony is ___________ to an issue in dispute and the
___________ of the testimony outweighs whatever ______________ impact it might have.
relevant
usefulness
prejudicial
competence to stand trial
a defendant's capacity to function meaningfully and knowingly in a legal proceeding.
Defendants may be determined by a judge to be
incompetent if they are seriously deficient in one or
more abilities...
understanding the legal proceedings
communicating with their attorneys
appreciating their role in the proceedings
making legally relevant decisions
Dusky Standard
accepted national standard for competence to
stand trial is a "sufficient present ability to consult
with [one's] attorney with a reasonable degree of
rational understanding, and . . . a rational, as well
as factual understanding of the proceedings
against [one]"
A defendant, in order to be deemed competent, must be able to understand:
The roles of key participants within the legal process
The current charges faced by the defendant
The elements of an offense
The consequences of conviction
The rights waived in making a guilty plea
A defendant, in order to be deemed competent, must be able to appreciate
The likelihood that he or she will be found guilty
The consequences for the defendant of being convicted
The defendant's appraisal of the available legal defenses and their likely outcomes
The defendant's appraisal of whether or not to testify
The defendant's ability to make rational decisions
,regarding the specific case
A defendant, in order to be deemed competent, must be able to reason:
To distinguish more relevant from less relevant
information
To seek relevant information
To weigh and evaluate various legal options and their
consequences
To make comparisons
To provide reality-based justification for making particular case-specific decisions or conclusions
A defendant, in order to be deemed competent, must be able to assist in their own defense, such
that:
Consult with his or her lawyer
Relate to the lawyer
Plan legal strategy
Engage in his or her defense
Challenge witnesses
Testify relevantly
Manage his or her courtroom behavior
By pleading guilty, defendants waive several constitutional rights:
the right to a jury trial
the right to confront their accusers
the right to call favorable witnesses
the right to remain silent
T or F: Competence to plead guilty is a lesser standard than competence to stand trial.
False; higher standard
T or F: The question of a defendant's competence can be
raised at any point in the criminal process, and it
can be raised by the prosecutor, the defense
attorney, or the presiding judge.
True
T or F: Having serious mental illness alone is not enough to make a defendant incompetent to face
charges.
True
About ______% of the defendants who are incompetent are restored to competency
70-90%
When inmates are evaluated to see if they are competent to stand trial, what are the 2 main criteria
established in a 1960 U.S. Supreme Court case?
Can the defendant understand the court proceedings and charges against him?
Can the defendant help his lawyers in the defense case?
, Ted Kaczynski
Unabomber; paranoid schizophrenic who was found competent to stand trial
An intellectually disabled individual ___________ be found competent to stand trial.
Can be!
The Fitness Interview Test-Revised
A measure of a person's competency to stand trial; includes 16 items in 3 broad domains (Factual
Knowledge of Criminal Procedure, Appreciation of
Personal Involvement in and Importance of the
Proceedings, and Ability to Participate in Defense).
MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool-Criminal Adjudication (MacCAT-CA)
begins with a hypothetical vignette about a crime.
Items assess the defendant's understanding of the
legal system and adjudicative process and his or her
reasoning abilities in legal situations. Other items are specific to the defendant's own legal situation.
The Evaluation of Competence to Stand Trial-Revised
a semi-structured interview that was developed using the Dusky criteria (assesses factual
and rational understanding of proceedings, and consultation with counsel)
focuses on information that is specific to the case of the individual being evaluated.
addresses the question of whether the evaluee is trying
to exaggerate or fake deficits that might make that person appear incompetent to stand trial.
The Competence Assessment for Standing Trial for Defendants with Mental Retardation
developed specifically for assessing defendants with mild to moderate mental retardation.
Very poor performance should make evaluators
suspicious that a defendant might be exaggerating
deficiencies.
Estimates of ____________ (faking or grossly
exaggerating) mental illness in competence
evaluations are close to 18%.
malingering
The Miller Forensic Assessment of Symptoms Test (M-FAST)
a 25-item structured interview that
can identify individuals who are attempting to feign mental disorders.
What evaluators do following assessment
give written report to judge summarizing evidence on competence to stand trial
reports on likelihood that appropriate treatment will sufficiently improve competence-relevant
deficits
preponderance of the evidence- the defendant has to show that it was more likely than not that he or
she was incompetent.
What happens if a defendant is found incompetent?
With Solved Solutions.
Forensic psychology is recognized as a specialty by the
___________________________ and by the
_____________________________.
American Board of Professional Psychology
American Psychological Association
T or F: The law permits and encourages the use of expert testimony on psychological topics.
True
A qualified expert can testify about a topic if testimony is ___________ to an issue in dispute and the
___________ of the testimony outweighs whatever ______________ impact it might have.
relevant
usefulness
prejudicial
competence to stand trial
a defendant's capacity to function meaningfully and knowingly in a legal proceeding.
Defendants may be determined by a judge to be
incompetent if they are seriously deficient in one or
more abilities...
understanding the legal proceedings
communicating with their attorneys
appreciating their role in the proceedings
making legally relevant decisions
Dusky Standard
accepted national standard for competence to
stand trial is a "sufficient present ability to consult
with [one's] attorney with a reasonable degree of
rational understanding, and . . . a rational, as well
as factual understanding of the proceedings
against [one]"
A defendant, in order to be deemed competent, must be able to understand:
The roles of key participants within the legal process
The current charges faced by the defendant
The elements of an offense
The consequences of conviction
The rights waived in making a guilty plea
A defendant, in order to be deemed competent, must be able to appreciate
The likelihood that he or she will be found guilty
The consequences for the defendant of being convicted
The defendant's appraisal of the available legal defenses and their likely outcomes
The defendant's appraisal of whether or not to testify
The defendant's ability to make rational decisions
,regarding the specific case
A defendant, in order to be deemed competent, must be able to reason:
To distinguish more relevant from less relevant
information
To seek relevant information
To weigh and evaluate various legal options and their
consequences
To make comparisons
To provide reality-based justification for making particular case-specific decisions or conclusions
A defendant, in order to be deemed competent, must be able to assist in their own defense, such
that:
Consult with his or her lawyer
Relate to the lawyer
Plan legal strategy
Engage in his or her defense
Challenge witnesses
Testify relevantly
Manage his or her courtroom behavior
By pleading guilty, defendants waive several constitutional rights:
the right to a jury trial
the right to confront their accusers
the right to call favorable witnesses
the right to remain silent
T or F: Competence to plead guilty is a lesser standard than competence to stand trial.
False; higher standard
T or F: The question of a defendant's competence can be
raised at any point in the criminal process, and it
can be raised by the prosecutor, the defense
attorney, or the presiding judge.
True
T or F: Having serious mental illness alone is not enough to make a defendant incompetent to face
charges.
True
About ______% of the defendants who are incompetent are restored to competency
70-90%
When inmates are evaluated to see if they are competent to stand trial, what are the 2 main criteria
established in a 1960 U.S. Supreme Court case?
Can the defendant understand the court proceedings and charges against him?
Can the defendant help his lawyers in the defense case?
, Ted Kaczynski
Unabomber; paranoid schizophrenic who was found competent to stand trial
An intellectually disabled individual ___________ be found competent to stand trial.
Can be!
The Fitness Interview Test-Revised
A measure of a person's competency to stand trial; includes 16 items in 3 broad domains (Factual
Knowledge of Criminal Procedure, Appreciation of
Personal Involvement in and Importance of the
Proceedings, and Ability to Participate in Defense).
MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool-Criminal Adjudication (MacCAT-CA)
begins with a hypothetical vignette about a crime.
Items assess the defendant's understanding of the
legal system and adjudicative process and his or her
reasoning abilities in legal situations. Other items are specific to the defendant's own legal situation.
The Evaluation of Competence to Stand Trial-Revised
a semi-structured interview that was developed using the Dusky criteria (assesses factual
and rational understanding of proceedings, and consultation with counsel)
focuses on information that is specific to the case of the individual being evaluated.
addresses the question of whether the evaluee is trying
to exaggerate or fake deficits that might make that person appear incompetent to stand trial.
The Competence Assessment for Standing Trial for Defendants with Mental Retardation
developed specifically for assessing defendants with mild to moderate mental retardation.
Very poor performance should make evaluators
suspicious that a defendant might be exaggerating
deficiencies.
Estimates of ____________ (faking or grossly
exaggerating) mental illness in competence
evaluations are close to 18%.
malingering
The Miller Forensic Assessment of Symptoms Test (M-FAST)
a 25-item structured interview that
can identify individuals who are attempting to feign mental disorders.
What evaluators do following assessment
give written report to judge summarizing evidence on competence to stand trial
reports on likelihood that appropriate treatment will sufficiently improve competence-relevant
deficits
preponderance of the evidence- the defendant has to show that it was more likely than not that he or
she was incompetent.
What happens if a defendant is found incompetent?
