Mental Illness and the Death Penalty:

The American Bar Association has adopted ground-breaking policies that it believes should apply to the consideration of mental illness in the context of the death penalty. This panel will address circumstances under which defendants with serious mental disabilities should not be executed. Dorean Koenig will address under what circumstances a severely mentally ill defendant should be exempt from the death penalty, and discuss when a death row inmate is too incompetent to waive appeals, assist counsel, or be executed. John Blume will share his insights on what can bedone during litigation in light of the ABA policies. Dr. Richard Dudley will describe the impact of mental retardation and certain other major psychiatric disorders on a person's ability to function. He will then clarify the type of illnesses and resultant dysfunction that could qualify for an exemption, from the death penalty, under the ABA proposal.

Ron Tabak (Moderator), Special Counsel, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP, New York, NY

John H. Blume, III, Professor of Law, Cornell Law School; Director, Cornell Death Penalty Project, Ithaca, NY

Richard G. Dudley, Jr., MD, Psychiatrist,New York, NY

$150 General Public
$125 ABA Member
$85 Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities Members

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