Thursday, September 2, 2010

Court Decision: Arbaleaz v Florida (2010)

I am attempting to catch up on cases that need to be posted.  Arbalaez v. Florida (2010) is now listed in the Court Decisions.

I have only skimmed the decision and see that it is fraught with some of the usual thorny issues of a defendant being born and raised in a different culture (Columbia), demonstrating considerable fluency in his first language, and the inappropriateness (as outlined by expert witness Dr. Tom Oakland) of assessing adaptive behavior in a prison environment.   Lots to chew on in this one.  Given my close personal and professional affiliation with Dr. Oakland (he is listed as an expert here at the ICDP blog and is a good friend) I refrain from additional commentary due to potential conflicts of interest.

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