Cognitive Capacity

This episode delves into landmark Supreme Court cases that have significantly impacted the juvenile justice system, particularly focusing on cases like Graham v. Florida, Roper v. Simmons, Atkins v. Virginia, Miller v. Alabama, and the personal story of Ken Young. The discussion highlights the evolving understanding of youth culpability, cognitive capacity, and the implications of sentencing youth to life without parole or death. The conversation emphasizes the importance of recognizing the differences between youth and adults in the legal system and the role of scientific evidence in shaping these landmark decisions.takeaways

• Youth offenders cannot be sentenced to life without parole for non-homicidal offenses.
• Graham v. Florida was a pivotal case in juvenile justice.
• Roper v. Simmons established that the death penalty for youth is unconstitutional.
• Atkins v. Virginia recognized the impact of mental retardation on culpability.
• Miller v. Alabama introduced factors to consider in sentencing youth.
• Ken Young's case exemplifies the injustices faced by youth in the legal system.
• The Supreme Court's decisions have retroactive implications for many cases.
• Cognitive capacity and youth impulsivity are critical in legal considerations.
• The Eighth Amendment protects youth from cruel and unusual punishment.
• These landmark cases have reshaped the juvenile justice landscape.

Gerald Gault is a hallmark Supreme Court case that change the procedural due process rights of juveniles and juvenile law. Rock with me as I unpack the case and discuss the Due Process Clause and the 14th Amendment and how Cognitive Capacity was jeopardized in this matter.

To continue to understand the impact of youth being tried as adults, sentencing individuals with cognitive disabilities to harsh punitive outcomes requires us to go back and start from the beginning with a few Hallmark cases that set precedent of how this should be done when it comes to the intersection of Cognitive Capacity and Criminal Justice.

This is case One - Kent v. US (1966). Tap In!!

Mr. Halim Flowers was sentenced to two life sentences without possibility of parole at the age of 16. Based on a law he helped get passed in D.C., he was released in 2019 after serving over two decades and losing his entire youth. This is a story about cognitive capacity and arrested development in Black youth during a time when there was little understanding of the brain development, and the redemption and success of a Black man proving that a youth can become more than their worst mistake.

In this episode we wrap up the Brendan Dassey cognitive capacity episode by digging into the taped interrorgation videos. We discuss how the video makes it appear as though the officers utilized Brendan's impairment to coerce him into a form of forced confessions. We also discuss of course the confluence between his cognitive capacity and this coerced confession.

Stay tuned to the bonus episode where I will address the Candace Owens Series. Specifically when she discusses Brendan Dassey.

This is a bonus episode. Motivated by Mr. Oliver James' very transparent post about having to teach himself how to read. If you haven't seen the post visit my page to view. But this episode is a quick unpacking of my thoughts and work on the theory of educational malpractice.

This is the first episode in season 2 and I decided why not kick it off with a big case! So, for the first time ever, the Brendan Dassey case will get a deep dive analysis and discussion from the standpoint of communication disorders. Like only The Juvenile Forensic SLP can do, I will unpack his cognitive and communication disorders and correlate its impact on his coerced confession, Miranda Rights, and wrongful conviction. This will be a multi-episode series so hang tight and lock in! Welcome back to Cognitive Capacity Season II!!!

In this episode of Brain Injury Chronicles, Dr. D. tells the story of former NFL player, Phillip Adams. The symptoms of CTE is discussed in connection to dual diagnosis of mental health impairments.