Psychology in the News Psychology in the News Dissociative Identity Disorder Defense Not Allowed If someone charged with a crime alleges that he or she was suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the offense that impaired his or her ability to understand or control his or her behavior, the law provides that the individual may be able to enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. A psychologist or psychiatrist would testify about the disorder and give an opinion about how it affected the defendant's behavior at the time of the crime.
Persons suffering from the disorder typically have amnesia regarding events undertaken by an alter.
Although it is one of the more difficult disorders for jurors to understand, generally judges allow the defendant to put on the case and leave it to the jury to sort out the evidence. The judge ruled that since some mental health experts essentially don't believe that DID is real, the disorder is too controversial for the jury to consider. Yet the disorder is in the DSM-IV , the unquestioned legal and medical authority for diagnoses of mental illness. Since the Supreme Court of Washington agreed with the trial judge's decision, the defendant is filing an appeal with the United States Supreme Court. Look for mental health public interest groups and the American Psychological Association to file briefs with the court in support of the defense.