Author Archives: Nita A. Farahany

About Nita A. Farahany

Professor of Law and Philosophy, Professor of Genome Sciences and Policy

The Daily Digest, 5/26/11

Posted on May 26, 2011

The case today presents an interesting application of the developing brain theory in juveniles. The defendant, who was convicted of two counts of second degree murder and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, sought to … Continue reading →

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Webinar of Interest

Posted on April 27, 2011

Of interest to readers of the blog. The ABA (Section of Science & Technology Law of the American Bar Association) and AALS are co-sponsoring a Neuroscience and Law webinar series of interest. I’ll be speaking at the last one, on … Continue reading →

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The Daily Digest, 4/26/11

Posted on April 26, 2011

Civil commitment proceedings seem to offer a significant loophole to due process guarantees. After serving a prison term, an individual can be found to be a sexually violent predator and serve indefinitely in a mental health facility (with annual “reviews” … Continue reading →

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The Daily Digest, 4/25/11

Posted on April 25, 2011

In Schriro v. Landrigan, the United States Supreme Court granted certiorari on two questions: (1) Whether a defendant can knowingly and voluntarily waive his right to have mitigating evidence introduced on his behalf in a capital case, and (2) Whether … Continue reading →

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The Daily Digest, 4/20/11

Posted on April 20, 2011

Is the Government Targeting our Genomes? I’ve reported previously on the claims by some private citizens that they are “targeted individuals” of government experiments. That case, and my knowledge of these claims to date was limited to targeting neurological functioning. … Continue reading →

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The Daily Digest, 4/19/11

Posted on April 18, 2011

The New York Times on Sunday ran a provocative op-ed co-authored by one of my colleagues at Vanderbilt, Nancy King. In that editorial, the authors call for reform to the endless process of habeas review, arguing that claims are reviewed, … Continue reading →

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The Daily Digest, 4/18/11

Posted on April 18, 2011

Neuropsychologists v. Neuropsychiatrists The discussion by the majority and dissenting opinions in the case today about neuropsychological versus neuropsychiatric testing reveals just how detailed and technical the debates over cognitive neuroscience are becoming in legal cases. The dissent explains in … Continue reading →

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