The case is the O’Connor v. Donaldson case in 1975.
The American judicial system has not always been fair to those with mental
health issues (or perceived mental health issues). Your job is to find an example
of when mental health was used in the law (e.g., insanity plea, gay panic
defense, Americans with Disabilities Act), and write about it. Your reflection
should include
1. A thorough descriiption of the case or example
2. The history of it (how it came about, how it has been used, how it has
evolved)
3. The disorders involved and how they were described in the case.
4. The good or harm the case caused.
Task: Your job is to find an example of mental health being used in the law. ( O’Connor v. Donaldson case in 1975.) This can be a court case where mental health was used as a defense or accusation, or a law that is related to mental health. Provide a thorough descriiption of the case and all its proceedings or how the law was created, as well as the mental illnesses used in the situation (both their actual descriiption and how they were described in the case). Provide a brief history of how that mental illness has been used, or how it came to be used in this situation (e.g., if you are writing about a case with an insanity plea, provide a brief history of the insanity plea in law, or if you are writing about one of the first cases in which the insanity plea was used, provide a brief history of how this was chosen as the defense – what led to this decision, how was mental illness conceptualized, etc.) Develop an argument about whether you believe mental health was mis- or well-represented, whether the outcome caused harm or good, and what this situation means for the future of mental health and the law. Use outside sources to back up your argument. Make sure to use at least 3 academic/reliable sources outside of the textbook (the textbook is not necessary).
Grading Criteria:
Style:
APA Format – 3 points
Clear and Concise Writing Style – 3 points
No grammar or spelling errors – 2 points
Proper Citations – 2 points
Content:
Law example clearly described (background, proceedings, outcome) – 3 points
Mental illness clearly described (etiology, symptoms, theories, treatment) – 4 points
How mental health was used in this case – 2 points
Well defined and thoroughly thought-out argument – 4 points
3 academic/reliable sources – 2 points
Grading Scale: Total = 25 points
25/25 = A+; 24/25 = A; 23/25 = A-; 22/25 = B+; 21/25 = B; 20/25 = B-; 19/25 = C+; 18/25 = C; 17/25 = C-; 16/25 = D+; 15/25 = D; 14/25 = D-; 13/25 or below = F
