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Landmark Cases

AAPL selects Landmark Cases which it thinks especially important and significant for forensic psychiatry. This list is not officially recognized by the ABPN. AAPL revises the list from time to time.

CIVIL RIGHTS OF PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS

A. Right to Treatment

  • 1. Rouse v. Cameron, 373 F.2d 451 (1966) (possibly delete)
  • 2. Wyatt v. Stickney, 344 F.Supp. 387 (1972)
  • 3. Youngberg v. Romeo, 457 U.S. 307, 102 S.Ct. 2452 (1982)

B. Right to Refuse Treatment

  • 4. Application of President and Directors of Georgetown College Inc., 118 U.S. App. D.C. 80, 331 F.2d 1000 (1964) **, ****
  • 5. Rennie v. Klein, 720 F.2d 266 (1983)
  • 6. Rogers v. Commissioner of Dept. of Mental Health, 390 Mass. 489, 458 N.E.2d 308 (1983)
  • 7. Washington v. Harper, 494 U.S. 210, 110 S.Ct. 1028 (1990)
  • 8. Hargrave v. Vermont, 340 F.3d 27 (2003)
  • 9. Sell v. U.S., 539 U.S. 166, 123 S.Ct. 2174 (2003)

C. Right to Die

  • 10. Washington v. Glucksberg, 117 S.Ct. 2258 (1997) (including concurring opinion)

D. Civil Commitment

  • 11. Lake v. Cameron, 364 F.2d 657 (1966) *, ****
  • 12. Lessard v. Schmidt, 349 F.Supp. 1078 (1972) **, ****
  • 13. O'Connor v. Donaldson, 422 U.S. 563, 95 S.Ct. 2486 (1975)
  • 14. Addington v. Texas, 441 U.S. 418, 99 S.Ct. 1804 (1979)
  • 15. Parham v. JR, 442 U.S. 584, 99 S.Ct. 2493 (1979)
  • 16. Zinermon v. Burch, 494 U.S. 113, 110 S.Ct. 975 (1990)

PHYSICIAN-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP CASES

A. Informed Consent

  • 17. Canterbury v. Spence, 150 U.S. App. D.C. 263, 464 F.2d 772 (1972)
  • 18. Kaimowitz v. Michigan DMH, 1 MDLR 147 (1973)
  • 19. Cruzan v. Director, Missouri DMH, 497 U.S 261, 110 S.Ct. 2841 (1990)

B. Confidentiality/Privilege/Privacy

  • 20. In re Lifschutz, 2 Cal. 3d 415, 467 P.2d 557 (1970)
  • 21. Doe v. Roe, 400 N.Y.Supp. 2d 668 (1977)
  • 22. Jaffee v. Redmond, 116 S.Ct. 1923 (1996)

C. Liability to Patients

  • 23. Roy v. Hartogs, 381 N.Y.S. 2d 587 (1976)
  • 24. Clites v. Iowa, 322 N.W. 2d 917 (Iowa Ct. App. 1982)

D. Duty to Protect

  • 25. Tarasoff v. Regents of University of California, 17 Cal. 3d 425, 551 P.2d 334, 131 Cal. Rptr. 14 (1976)
  • 26. Lipari v. Sears, 497 F.Supp. 185 (D. Neb. 1980)

CRIMINAL PROCESS CASES

    A. Competency to Stand Trial

  • 27. Dusky v. U.S., 362 U.S. 402, 80 S.Ct. 788 (1960)
  • 28. Wilson v. U.S., 129 U.S. App. D.C. 107, 391 F.2d 460 (1968)
  • 29. Jackson v. Indiana, 406 U.S. 715, 92 S.Ct. 1845 (1972)
  • 30. Riggins v. Nevada, 112 S.Ct. 1810 (1992)
  • 31. Godinez v. Moran, 113 S.Ct. 2680 (1993)
  • 32. Cooper v. Oklahoma, 116 S.Ct. 1373 (1996)
  • 33. Indiana v. Edwards, 554 U.S. 164 (2008)

B. Criminal Responsibility

i. Insanity Defense
  • 34. M'Naghten's Case, 8 Eng. Rep. 718, SEng Rep. 722 (1843)
  • 35. Durham v. U.S., 94 U.S. App. D.C. 228, 214 F.2d 862 (1954)
  • 36. Washington v. U.S., 129 U.S. App. D.C. 29, 390 F.2d 444 (1967)
  • 37. Frendak v. U.S., 408 A.2d 364 (1979)
  • 38. Jones v. U.S., 463 U.S. 354, 103 S.Ct. 3043 (1983)
  • 39. Foucha v. Louisiana, 112 S.Ct. 1780 (1992)
  • 40. Clark v. Arizona, 548 U.S. 735, 126 S.Ct. 2709 (2006)
  • 41. Kahler v. Kansas, 140 S. CT 1021 (2020)
ii. Diminished Capacity
  • 42. Ibn-Tamas v. U.S., 407 A.2d 626 (D.C. 1979)
  • 43. Montana v. Engelhoff, 116 S.Ct. 2013 (1996)

C. Psychiatry and the Death Penalty

  • 44. Estelle v. Smith, 451 U.S. 454, 101 S.Ct. 1866 (1981)
  • 45. Barefoot v. Estelle, 463 U.S. 880, 103 S.Ct. 3383 (1983)
  • 46. Ake v. Oklahoma, 470 U.S. 68, 105 S.Ct. 1087 (1985)
  • 47. Ford v. Wainwright, 477 U.S. 399, 106 S.Ct. 2595 (1986)
  • 48. Payne v. Tennessee, 111 S.Ct. 2597 (1991)
  • 49. State v. Perry, 610 So.2d 746 (1992)
  • 50. Atkins v. Virginia, 536 U.S. 304, 122 S.Ct. 2242 (2002)
  • 51. Roper v. Simmons, 543 U.S. 551, 125 S.Ct. 1183 (2005)
  • 52. Panetti v. Quarterman, 127 S. Ct. 2842 (2007)
  • 53. Hall v. Florida, 134 S. Ct. 1986 (2014)
  • 54. Madison v. Alabama, 139 S. CT. 718 (2019)
  • 55. McWilliams v. Dunn, 137 S. CT. 1240 (2017)
  • 56. Buck v. Davis, 137 S. CT. 759 (2017)

D. Prisoner's Rights

  • 57. Baxstrom v. Herold, 383 U.S. 107, 86 S.Ct. 760 (1966)
  • 58. Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97, 97 S.Ct. 285 (1976)
  • 59. Vitek v. Jones, 445 U.S 480, 100 S.Ct. 1254 (1980)
  • 60. Farmer v. Brennan, 114 S.Ct. 1970 (1994)
  • 61. Brown v. Plata 134 S.Ct. 436 (2011)

E. Defendant's Rights

i. Confessions
  • 62. Colorado v. Connelly, 479 U.S. 157, 107 S.Ct. 515 (1986)
ii. Guilty Pleas
  • 63. North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25, 91 S.Ct. 160 (1970)
iii. Sex Offenders
  • 64. Specht v. Patterson, 386 U.S. 605, 87 S.Ct. 1209 (1967)
  • 65. Allen v. Illinois, 478 U.S. 364, 106 S.Ct. 2988 (1986)
  • 66. Kansas v. Hendricks, 117 S.Ct. 2072 (1997)
  • 67. Kansas v. Crane, 534 U.S. 407, 122 S.Ct. 867 (2002)
  • 68. McKune v. Lile, 536 U.S. 24, 122 S.Ct. 2017 (2002)
  • 69. U.S. v. Comstock, 560 U.S. 126, 130 S.Ct. 1949 (2010)

F. Drugs/Alcohol

  • 70. Robinson v. California, 370 U.S. 660, 82 S.Ct. 1417 (1962)
  • 71. Powell v. Texas, 392 U.S. 514, 88 S.Ct. 2145 (1968)

G. Hypnosis

  • 72. State v. Hurd, 173 N.J. Super. 333, 414 A.2d 291 (1980)
  • 73. Rock v. Arkansas, 483 U.S. 44, 107 S.Ct. 2704 (1987)

EMOTIONAL HARM/DISABILITY/WORKPLACE CASES

  • 74. Dillon v. Legg, 68 Cal. 2d 728, 441 P.2d 912 (1968)

A. Americans With Disabilities Act

  • 75. Bragdon v. Abbott, 118 S.Ct. 2196 (1998)
  • 76. Olmstead v. L. C. ex rei. Zimring, 119 S.Ct. 2176 (1999)
  • 77. U.S. v. Georgia, 546 U.S. 151, 126 S.Ct. 877 (2006)

B. Sexual Harassment

  • 78. Meritor Savings Bank FSB v. Vinson, 106 S.Ct. 2399 (1986)
  • 79. Harris v. Forklift Systems, Inc., 114 S.Ct. 367 (1993)
  • 80. Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc., 118 S.Ct. 998 (1998)

C. Expert Witness Testimony Standards

  • 81. Frye v. U.S., 293 F. 1013 (1923)
  • 82. Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals Inc., 61 U.S.L.W. 4805, 113 S.Ct. 2786 (1993)
  • 83. Kumho Tire Co., Ltd. v. Carmichael, 119 S.Ct. 1167 (1999)

CHILD CASES

A. Child Abuse Reporting

  • 84. Landeros v. Flood, 17 Cal. 3d 399, 551 P.2d 389 (1976)
  • 85. People v. Stritzinger, 34 Cal. 3d 505, 668 P.2d 738 (1983)
  • 86. State v. Andring, 342 N.W.2d 128 (Minn. 1984)
  • 87. DeShaney v. Winnebago County Dept. of Social Services, 489 U.S. 189, 109 S.Ct. 998 (1989)

B. Juvenile Court

  • 88. Application of Gault, 387 U.S. 1, 87 S.Ct. 1428 (1967)
  • 89. Fare v. Michael C., 442 U.S. 707 (1979)

C. Education-Related Services

  • 90. Board of Education of Hendrick Hudson Central School Dist. Westchester County v. Rowley, 458 U.S. 176, 102 S.Ct. 3034 (1982)
  • 91. Irving Independent School District v. Tatro, 468 U.S. 883, 104 S.Ct. 3371 (1984)

D. Custody

  • 92. Painter v. Bannister, 258 Iowa 1390, 140 N.W.2d 152 (1966)
  • 93. Santosky v. Kramer, 455 U.S. 745, 102 S.Ct. 1388 (1982)

E. Juvenile Sentencing

  • 94. Graham v. Florida 560 U.S. 48, 130 S.Ct. (2011)
  • 95. Miller v. Alabama, 132 S. Ct. 2455 (2012)

Landmark Case List Legend

* denotes cases on the Landmarks list from prior years but deleted in 1999

** denotes cases on the Landmarks list from prior years but deleted in 2007

*** denotes cases on the Landmarks list from prior years but deleted in 2014

**** denotes cases deleted from the Landmarks list from prior years but re-added in 2014

BLUE denotes proposed additions and deletions in 2023