Juvenile & Child Welfare Newsletter
November 2011
Juvenile & Child Welfare Law Updates
Juvenile
Competency
At our September meeting, Dr. Kimberly Larson, Ph.D., J.D., an
assistant professor in the Psychiatry Department of the University
of Massachusetts Medical School, presented on issues relating to
the competency to stand trial of juveniles. Larson and her
colleagues at UMass Medical School have been assisting various
states who have been looking at their juvenile competency statutes
and drafting new legislation. As a section council, we expressed
interest to Larson in beginning such an effort for Massachusetts,
and she offered to provide us with further materials.
Science
Manual for Judges
A new guidebook for judges and legal professionals, the
Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, is now available,
replacing the previous edition published in 2000.
The 1,038-page manual explains scientific concepts, shows how
evidence can be manipulated, and cites judicial decisions. It's
free for downloading and online reading, and there is a $79.95
paperback version.
The manual is available here.