Atkins V. Gloria Case Study

Anyone accused or convicted of a capital crime, being diagnosed with Mental Retardation can mean a term of life or death. Daryl Renard Atkins was convicted of abduction, armed robbery and capital murder. A forensic psychologist testified that Atkins was mildly mentally retarded. The was tried twice, both time sentenced to death. In the Atkins v. Virginia (2002) case, Supreme Court ruled that execution of such a person constitutes cruel and unusual punishment prohibited by the 8th amendment (Bethany A. Young-Lundquist, 2012). Standardized tests were the method used to test intellect. The purpose of this study was the focus on potential limitations of adaptive functioning. It has been thought that individual s with high levels of psychopathic
In the Briseno v. State case, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals drew a line in the difference between the ability to function appropriately and willingness to function appropriately. Defense defined Briseno’s actions as evidence of poor decision making and impaired adaptive functioning due to lack of seeking assistance from other family member or assistant services (Bethany A. Young-Lundquist, 2012). Prosecution argued that this behavior was chosen, indicting an Antisocial Personality Disorder. An individual could be diagnosed with Mental Retardation and Antisocial Personality Disorder with an overlap in impulsivity and irresponsibility which can be evident measures of adaptive functioning. An overlap with this diagnosis enforces the evaluators to distinguish the difference between low adaptive functioning and problem behavior (Bethany A. Young-Lundquist,
Findings indicated that when psychopathy scores increased, adaptive functioning scores decreased. In regard to the Akins case, none of the probationers used in this study were diagnosed with Mental Retardation or had been accused of a capital crime. Probationers were used because of the availability. The only other limitation used assessing psychopathy and adaptive functioning and brief measure of IQ. Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales-4th Edition and psychopathy checklist revised were found to be used more in actual cases. This study suggests that there are negative correlations between psychopathy traits and adaptive functioning but not to the extent of which self-reports and capital cases relate. Careful considerations should be taken with the Atkins v. Virginia (2002) case comparison of psychopathic traits and adaptive functioning using self-reports in the diagnosis