A study involving police officers in Western Australia (n=138) and Pennsylvania (n=168) revealed that officers responded differently to crimes involving persons with mental retardation. In some cases, police were more tolerant of the disability, in others they were less tolerant. Response patterns were not different for Australian and Pennsylvania…

Seventeen Supreme Court Judges, District Court Judges, and Magistrates in Western Australia were surveyed to examine perceptions concerning overrepresentation of individuals with intellectual disability in the criminal justice system. The judiciary felt these individuals had several characteristics that would disadvantage them in contacts with the…

This article describes two major laws affecting special education--Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. It identifies the agencies charged with enforcement of these laws, and lists printed and organizational resources that address specific questions about these laws and their application in…

This narrative describes the case of Richard Lapointe, a man with Dandy-Walker syndrome (a congenital brain malformation resulting in a build-up of cerebrospinal fluid in the skull), who was accused of homicide. The questionable practices of the police in acquiring a confession are recounted. The narrative discusses the court appeals process and…