This case study is designed to make you think like a forensic psychologist. Read the following scenario and answer the prompt below, referring to Chapter 10 in your textbook and the B.S. in Criminal Justice Library Guide.
Scenario
I am a college student who went to a friend’s party last month. I have never drunk, smoked, or taken drugs. At the party, I drank some punch and ate some brownies. The police told me that on the way home, I started hallucinating due to the LSD someone had purposely placed in the punch. My hallucination consisted of seeing three Martians who I thought had landed on the planet to kill the President. Due to my drug-induced state, I’m told I ran over the aliens (innocent people) with my car and killed them. I woke up without any memory of these events. The doctors tell me I’ll be fine although I do run the risk of occasional flashbacks. The person who put the LSD in the punch has been arrested. I was charged with negligent homicide and my trial begins next week.
Instructions
Answer the following in a half-page paper:
- You are hired by the defendant to be an expert to testify in the trial of this college student. How does psychologist explain to the jury the mental capacity of someone under the influence of drugs who commits a crime? Explain your answer.
- Use at least one academic resource to back up your explanation.
