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; the list below includes additions and deletions applied through year 2000.

You can order the text of the cases in three volumes plus a supplement from AAPL.

Civil Rights of Psychiatric Patients

Right to Treatment

Rouse v. Cameron, 125 U.S. App. D.C. 366, 373 F.2d 451 (1966)

Wyatt v. Stickney, 344 F.Supp. 387 (M.D. Ala. 1972)

Donaldson v. O'Connor, 493 F.2d 507 (5th Cir. 1974)

Youngberg v. Romeo, 457 U.S. 307, 102 S.Ct. 2452 (1982)

Right to Refuse Treatment

App. of Pres. & Dir. of Georgetown., 118 U.S. App. D.C. 80, 331 F.2d 1000 (1964)

Super. of Belchertown v. Saikowitz, 383 Mass. 728, 370 N.E.2d 417 (1977)

Guardianship of Richard Roe III, In Re, 383 Mass. 415, 421 N.E.2d 40 (1981)

Rennie v. Klein, 720 F.2d 266 (3d Cir. 1983)

Rogers v. Commissioner, 390 Mass. 489, 458 N.E.2d 308 (1983)

Washington v. Harper, 494 U.S. 210, 110 S.Ct. 1028 (1990)

Right To Die

Vacco v. Quill, 117 S.Ct. 2293 (1997)

Washington v. Glucksberg, 117 S.Ct. 2258 (1997)

Civil Commitment

Lessard v. Schmidt, 349 F.Supp. 1078 (E.D. Wis. 1972)

O'Connor v. Donaldson, 422 U.S. 563, 95 S.Ct. 2486 (1975)

Addington v. Texas, 441 U.S. 418, 99 S.Ct. 1804 (1979)

Parham v. JR and JL, 442 U.S. 584, 99 S.Ct. 2493 (1979)

Zinermon v. Burch, 494 U.S. 113, 110 S.Ct. 975 (1990)

Managed Care

NYS Conf. of Blue Cross & Blue Shield Plans, et al. v. Travelers, 115 S.Ct. 1671 (1995)

Corcoran v. United Healthcare, Inc., 965 F.2d 1321 5th Cir. (1992)

Dukes v. United Healthcare, Inc., 57 F.3d 350 3d Cir. (1995)

 

Physician-Patient Relationship Cases

Informed Consent

Canterbury v. Spence, 150 U.S. App. D.C. 263, 464 F.2d 772 (1972)

Kaimowitz v. Michigan DMH, 1 MDLR 147 (1976)

Truman v. Thomas, 27 Cal. 3d 285, 611 P.2d 902 (1980)

Cruzan v. Director, Missouri DMH, 497 U.S 261, 110 S.Ct. 2841 (1990)

Confidentiality/Privilege/Privacy

Lifschutz, In Re, 2 Cal. 3d 415, 467 P.2d 557 (1970)

Whalen v. Roe, 429 U.S. 589, 97 S.Ct. 869 (1977)

Doe v. Roe, 400 N.Y.Supp.2d 668 (1977)

Jaffee v. Redmond, 116 S.Ct. 1923 (1996)

Commonwealth v. Kobrin, 395 Mass. 1004, 479 N.E. 2d 674 (1985)

Liability to Patients

Roy v. Hartogs, 381 N.Y.S. 2d 587 (1976)

Aetna v. McCabe, 556 F.Supp. 1342 (1983)

Mazza v. Huffaker, 311 N.C. 621, 319 S.E. 2d 217 (1984)

Clites v. Iowa, 322 N.W. 2d 917 (Iowa Ct. App. 1982)

Duty to Protect

Tarasoffv. Regents, 17 Cal. 3d 425, 551 P.2d 334, 131 Cal. Rptr. 14 (1976)

Lipari v. Sears, 497 F.Supp. 185 (D. Neb. 1980)

Jablonski v. U.S., 712 F.2d 391 (1983)

Naidu v. Laird, 539 A.2d 1064 (Del. 1988)

 

Criminal Process

Competency to Stand Trial

Dusky v. U.S., 362 U.S. 402, 80 5. Ct. 788 (1960)

Wilson v. U.S., 129 U.S. App. D.C. 107, 391 F.2d 460 (1968)

Jackson v. Indiana, 406 U.S. 715, 92 S.Ct. 1845 (1972)

Seiling v. Eyman, 478 F.2d 211 (9th Cir Ariz. 1973)

Godinez v. Moran, 113 S.Ct. 2680 (1993)

Riggins v. Nevada, 112 S.Ct. 1810 (1992)

Cooper v. Oklahoma, 116 S.Ct. 1373 (1996)

Criminal Responsibility

Insanity Defense

   MNaghten's Case, 8 Eng. Rep.718, SEng Rep. 722, (1843)

   Durham v. U.S., 94 U.S. App. D.C. 228, 214 F.2d 862, (1954)

   Washington v. U.S., 129 U.S. App. D.C. 29, 390 F.2d 444 (1967)

   Frendak v. U.S., 408 A.2d 364 (D.C. 1979)

   Jones v. U.S., 463 U.S. 354, 103 S.Ct. 3043 (1983)

   Foucha v. Louisiana, 112 S.Ct. 1780 (1992)

Diminished Capacity

   People v. Patterson, 39 N.Y.2d 288, 347 N.E.2d 898 (1976)

   Ibn-Tamas v. U.S., 407 A.2d 626 (D.C. 1979)

   Montana v. Engelhoff, 116 S.Ct. 2013 (1996)

Psychiatry and the Death Penalty

Estelle v. Smith, 451 U.S. 454, 101 S.Ct. 1866 (1981)

Barefoot v. Estelle, 463 U.S. 880, 103 S.Ct. 3383 (1983)

Ake v. Oklahoma, 470 U.S. 68, 105 S.Ct. 1087 (1985)

Ford v. Wainwright, 477 U.S. 399, 106 S.Ct. 2595 (1986)

Payne v. Tennessee, 111 S.Ct. 2597 (1991)

State v.Perry, 610 So.2d 746 (La. 1992)

Prisoner's Rights

Baxstrom v. Herold, 383 U.S. 107, 86 S.Ct. 760 (1966)

Estelle V. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97, 97 S.Ct. 285 (1976)

Vitek v. Jones, 445 U.S 480, 100 S.Ct. 1254 (1980)

Farmer v. Brennan, 114 S.Ct. 1970 (1994)

Defendant's Rights

Confessions

   Colorado v. Connelly, 479 U.S. 157, 107 S.Ct. 515 (1986)

Guilty Pleas

   North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25, 91 S.Ct. 160 (1970)

Sex Offenders

   Specht v. Patterson, 386 U.S. 605, 87 S.Ct. 1209 (1967)

   Allen v. Illinois, 478 U.S. 364, 106 S.Ct. 2988 (1986)

   Kansas v. Hendricks, 117 S.Ct. 2072 (1997)

   In re Young & Cunningham, 857 P.2d. 989 (WA 1993)

Drugs/Alcohol

Robinson v. California, 370 U.S. 660, 82 S.Ct. 1417 (1962)

Powell v. Texas, 392 U.S. 514, 88 S.Ct. 2145 (1968)

Hypnosis

State v. Hurd, 173 N.J. Super. 333, 414 A.2d 291 (1980)

People v. Shirley, 181 Cal. Rptr. 243 (1982)

Rock v. Arkansas, 483 U.S. 44, 107 S.Ct. 2704 (1987)

 

Emotional Harm/Disability/Workplace Issues

Carter v. General Motors, 361 Mich. 577, 106 N.W.2d 105 (1960)

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

Americans With Disabilities Act

Bragdon v. Abbott, 118 S.Ct. 2196 (1998)

Pennsylvania v. Yesky, 118 S.Ct. 1952 (1998)

Olmstead v. L. C. ex rel Zimring, 119 S.Ct. 2176 (1999)

Sexual Harassment

Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson, 106 S.Ct. 2399 (1986)

Harris v. Forklift Systems, Inc., 114 S.Ct. 367 (1993)

Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc., 118 S.Ct. 998 (1998)

Expert Witness Testimony Standards

Frye v. U.S., 293 F. 1013 (1923)

Daubert v. Merrell Dow, 61 U.S.L.W. 4805, 113 S.Ct. 2786 (1993)

General Electric v. Joiner, 118 S.Ct. 512 (1997)

Kumho Tire v. Carmichael, 119 S.Ct. 1l67 (1999)

 

Child Cases

Child Abuse Reporting

Landeros v. Flood, 17 Cal. 3d 399, 551 P.2d 389 (1976)

People v. Stritzinger, 34 Cal. 3d 505, 668 P.2d 738 (1983)

State v. Andring, 342 N.W.2d 128 (Minn. 1984)

DeShaney v. Winnebago, 489 U.S. 189, 109 S.Ct. 998 (1989)

Juvenile Court

Gault,In Re,387 U.S. 1, 87 S.Ct. 1428 (1967)

Education Related Services

Board of Education v. Rowley, 458 U.S. 176, 102 S.Ct. 3034 (1982)

Irving Independent School District v. Tatro, 468 U.S. 883, 104 S.Ct. 3371 (1984)

Custody

Painter v. Bannister, 258 Iowa 1390, 140 N.W.2d 152 (1966)

Santosky v. Kramer, 455 U.S. 745, 102 S.Ct.1388 (1982)