From Insanity to Diminished Capacity: Mental Illness and Criminal Excuse in Contemporary American Law

by Henry F. Fradella

Professor Fradella's new monograph traces the development of defenses of excuse from their English Common Law roots to their various modern formulations under U.S.law. It includes an interdisciplinary, detailed analysis of the historical evolution of the insanity defense, the diminished capacity/responsibility doctrines and related criminal defenses of excuse based on mental illness, including genetic-based defenses, the Black rage defense, the PMS defense, Battered Women s syndrome defense, and the media intoxication defense. The study concludes with a discussion of the likely future of defenses of excuse in light of the U.S. Supreme Courts 2006 decision Clark vs. Arizona.

Academica Press is an independent scholarly press specializing in publishing monographs and reference material in the humanities and social sciences. We are particularly interested in producing works of scholarly interest English language studies, literary history and criticism ,drama, sociology, education and Irish studies. (Our dedicated imprint, Maunsel & Co., specializes in scholarly research in Irish studies.) We have recently developed projects in African and Afro-American research areas as well as Theology and Legal Studies.

Some select areas where we publish include:

-American 19th- and 20th-Century Language and Literature
-British 19th- and 20th-Century Language and Literature
-Irish Studies
-African Studies and African-American Studies
-Law, including Sports Law
-Higher Education
-English Church History

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1933146311
• ISBN13: 9781933146317
• Release Date: March 2007
• Publisher: Academica Press
• Length: 164 Pages