"Judicial Notebook" is a project of SPSSI (APA Div. 9)
Can prosecutors knowingly use false testimony at trial?
A defendant is petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to settle a legal dispute about the government’s ability to obtain convictions using perjured testimony
By Marc W. Pearce, JD, PhD, and Catherine C. Brown, MA, December 2017, Vol 48, No. 11
Case highlights the burdens of indigent defendants
McWilliams highlights the continuing burden for poor people who seek to present mental health defenses
By Kathryn A. Lafortune, JD, PhD, The University of Tulsa College of Law, November 2017, Vol 48, No. 10
Differential pricing for credit cards: Surcharge or discount?
How these options are framed has important psychological implications
By Jennifer K. Robbennolt, JD, PhD, University of Illinois, October 2017, Vol 48, No. 9
Limiting the reach of the death penalty
Indiana tried, but failed, to enact a law that would prohibit the death sentence for people with serious mental illness. Could other states come forward?
By David DeMatteo, JD, PhD, ABPP (Forensic), and Claire Lankford, MS, Drexel University, September 2017, Vol 48, No. 8
Can sex offenders be incarcerated for being homeless?
A tangle of laws keeps many offenders from finding homes
By Cynthia Calkins, PhD, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and Robert Beattey, JD, Graduate Center at City University of New York, July/August 2017, Vol 48, No. 7
Hidden evidence: Evaluating exonerating information
If prosecutors fail to provide defendants with exculpatory evidence at trial, is it possible to know how jurors might have used that information?
By Ryan J. Winter, PhD, MLS, Florida International University, June 2017, Vol 48 , No. 6
When the regulation of psychology conflicts with free speech
An appellate court finds that Texas’s definition of psychological practice is overbroad—a ruling that has serious implications for states with similar statutes
By Marc W. Pearce, JD, PhD, and Celeste Arden Riley, PhD, May 2017, Vol 48, No. 5
Should registered sex offenders be banned from social media?
Restricting sex offenders’ access to social media may increase their societal exclusion, undermining efforts to reintegrate them into society
By Sam A. Wilcox and Cynthia J. Najdowski, PhD, University of Albany, State University of New York, April 2017, Vol 48, No. 4
Should families be able to sue nursing homes?
When they admit a family member, many people sign documents affirming they will not sue over disputes that may arise over care. But should they?
By Katherine Kargl and Jennifer K. Robbennolt, JD, PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, March 2017, Vol 48, No. 3
Missing: A key patient safeguard
Mental health advance directives direct people’s preferences for mental health treatment, but legal concerns have prevented their widespread adoption
By Kathryn A. LaFortune, JD, PhD, The University of Tulsa, February 2017, Vol 48, No. 2
Reporting juror bias in the deliberation room
Should jurors report potential bias—and if so, when?
By Amy Kleynhans, MA, and Brian H. Bornstein, PhD, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, January 2017, Vol 48, No. 1