CA Intellectual Disability and Criminal Responsibility Discussion – Question Description
I’m working on a writing multi-part question and need the explanation and answer to help me learn.
This is a very sensitive topic, and it is vital that we respect one another’s opinions in this discussion.
As citizens of the United States, individuals with disabilities are required to follow the same law as their peers without disabilities. The law is very clear about what constitutes a crime. Capital crimes (murder) in some states carry a death penalty. The US Supreme Court has ruled that capital punishment (death penalty) is not constitutional for an individual with intellectual disability however, different states have varying definitions of disability that may be in conflict with one another in areas such as the level of IQ at which one is determined to have an intellectual disability.
When it comes to individuals with disabilities being tried and convicted for crimes that they commit, do you feel they should be held to the same standard as all other citizens? Where is the line drawn, and how can we justify any differences in sentencing or treatment based upon intellectual ability?
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