Bill Text: IN SR0047 | 2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Study committee on court appointed mental health professionals.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2013-04-01 - Second reading: adopted voice vote [SR0047 Detail]
Download: Indiana-2013-SR0047-Introduced.html
A SENATE RESOLUTION urging the Legislative Council to establish an interim study committee to study the role of court-appointed mental health professionals to examine a defendant who is raising an insanity defense.
_______________________, read first time and referred to Committee on
MADAM PRESIDENT:
I offer the following resolution and move its adoption:
A SENATE RESOLUTION urging the Legislative Council to
establish an interim study committee to study the role of
court-appointed mental health professionals to examine a defendant
who is raising an insanity defense.
Whereas, Currently, courts are required to appoint two or three
competent, disinterested psychiatrists, physicians, or psychologists, at
least one of whom must be a psychiatrist;
Whereas, Psychologists have extensive training and experience in
diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders and in psychological
assessment;
Whereas, Research has shown that pairwise comparisons of
independent assessments for insanity arrive at the same conclusion
92% of the time, regardless of whether the evaluator is a psychiatrist or
a psychologist; and
Whereas, Psychologists have conducted insanity assessments for
decades, with many states allowing the judge to choose the evaluator
without regard to a specific ratio of qualified professionals: Therefore,
of the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
:
SECTION 1. That the Legislative Council is urged to establish an interim study committee to study whether courts should have the flexibility to appoint psychologists, psychiatrists, or physicians in insanity defense cases without regard to a specific ratio of qualified mental health professionals.
SECTION 2. That the committee, if established, shall operate under the direction of the Legislative Council and that the committee shall issue such reports as directed by the council.
