Criminal defendants who desire punishment.
K. L. Appelbaum,
Bull. Amer. Acad. Psychiatry & the Law
18(4): 385-91, 1990.
Some defendants desire to be punished. Sometimes psychotic motivations underlie
punishment-seeking behavior; sometimes they do not. The defendant's clinical status is relevant to
his competency to stand trial and to waive other rights. These issues are illustrated by presentation
of a case of a defendant who sought punishment. The importance of psychiatric assessments of these
defendants is emphasized.