Hello, my name is Chris Morales. I’m a criminal defense attorney in San Francisco, California. I’m a board-certified specialist in criminal law. Today we’re going to talk a little bit about mental health issues and the criminal justice system. So as a criminal defense attorney and as a public defender, you have to be well-schooled in recognizing when your client has a mental health issue. One of the more common serious mental health issues is schizophrenia.
And somebody that’s schizophrenic, they may have delusions and they may have hallucinations. And that can affect the way that you defend the case. Potentially there is a defense of insanity there. Potentially there’s some mitigation there that can reduce the seriousness of the case.
When somebody is schizophrenic, they may very well be hallucinating. And normally that is the person hearing voices. Some voices are telling them what to do, giving them advice, and directing their movement. And so that may be very important in a defense because there may be an insanity defense there.
if this voice directed the person to commit a crime, they may not have known the difference of right and wrong and that very well may be a viable defense. People that suffer from schizophrenia also can be quite delusional and they may feel like
Radio stations are broadcasting their thoughts and voices, that they may be getting special messages from television shows, that they may believe that they are historical figures, that they’re Jesus Christ, or that they’re Abraham Lincoln.
And many folks with schizophrenia suffer from paranoid schizophrenia. That is, they believe that people are out to get them, that folks are trying to cheat them, that people are spying on them, that people are trying to poison them. And so these are all very, very important things for a criminal defense attorney to be aware of.
Once you recognize that, you want to bring in some professionals, some psychiatrists and psychologists to explore that more and see if there’s a defense there or see if there’s some mitigating factors there that you can use in defending the case. If you have any questions about schizophrenia as it relates in the criminal justice system or any other mental health issues, please call me at 415-552-1215. And make sure you follow the Morales Law Firm on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.
Mental Health Issues in the Criminal Justice System
Criminal Defense Attorney – Christopher Morales
Practice Area: The San Francisco Bay Area, California
Call us today for a free consultation (415) 552-1215 (Se Habla Español)
Website: www.sfcriminallawspecialist.com
