US 304 Atkins Vs. Virginia (2002)

536 U.S. 304. Atkins vs. Virginia (2002).

Atkins vs. Virginia (2002) was a six to three Supreme Court decision ruling that people determined to be mentally retarded are categorically excluded from capital punishment. They were excluded because executing such offenders would violate the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution, “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines impose, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.”.

Atkins was convicted of abduction, armed robbery, and capital murder. He was then sentenced to death and this decision was reviewed. The Supreme Court reversed the penalty due to a forensic psychologist’s testimony that regarded Atkins as “mentally retarded, with an IQ of 59. The psychologist asserted Atkins did not have the ability

A properly trained Forensic Psychologist is needed to make a proper evaluation of a potentially insane defendant in any case where insanity is suspected. This is a necessary area of specialty for psychology, leading to the formation of Forensic Psychologists, because of the demand for such evaluations. This case is significant because it led to the formation of a niche for psychologists to specialize in. Competency evaluations for insanity are a big part of legal cases because of this case pertaining to potentially insane defendants. There are several crimes where an evaluator is needed to decipher the competence of whether an individual is insane because the insanity plea has become a common one. For example, a forensic psychologist could use the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-II) and a mental status examination are to assess the risk and competency of an individual in the judicial