As the number of individuals with autism has dramatically increased in the last two decades, so too have autistic defendants in criminal proceedings. Such cases are extremely challenging to the criminal court system because autistic individuals’ motivations, perceptions, and intentions are often difficult for courts to comprehend. Questions of mental capacity and criminal intent are particularly challenging. Similarly, courts may fail to understand what prison sentences mean for autistic individuals. The issue of autism in criminal courts is likely to grow in significance as the large population of autistic children become adults. The kinds of criminal cases range from assault to murder and from charges related to child pornography to possession of weapons without license. Many of these criminal cases highlight the complex and disturbing ways in which criminal law is interfacing with the world of autism.
C. Rick Ellis and Louis Conte will discuss the critically important role of experts and investigations in criminal cases where the defendants are on the autism spectrum at the 2011 EBCALA conference.
Ellis is a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist. He provides individual and family psychotherapy in private practice, forensic and hospital settings. He has written widely on psychological and educational issues. He frequently testifies in court as an expert in criminal and civil cases involving individuals on the autism spectrum.
Conte is the President of Autism Action New York and a board member of EBCALA, where he has served as the director of the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program Justice Project. Conte has extensive experience in law enforcement, having worked in probation for more than 20 years.