# Interesting article about neuroscience and the justice system

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-article-about-neuroscience-and-the-justice-system/587165>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [June 28, 2011, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-article-about-neuroscience-and-the-justice-system/587165 "2011-06-28T17:35:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-article-about-neuroscience-and-the-justice-system/587165/1 "2011-06-28T17:35:48Z")

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> **[The Brain on Trial](https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/07/the-brain-on-trial/308520/)**
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> Advances in brain science are calling into question the volition behind many criminal acts. A leading neuroscientist describes how the foundations of our criminal-justice system are beginning to crumble, and proposes a new way forward for law and...

(I’m putting it here because I’m not of sufficient fortitude to start a GD thread quite yet, thanks.)

TL;DR - The Clocktower killer had a tumor. Some guy suddenly developed pedophilia in his 20s - it was a tumor too. People with dementia get their frontal lobes shredded and go around exposing themselves. Justice system should stop worrying about whether people are to BLAME for their actions, and worry about what we as a society have to do with/to them to make the future (and hopefully the people in question) as safe and socially acceptable as possible.

(Yes, it’s a long tl;dr, but it’s a 4 page article for crying out loud. I did the best I could.)

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**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-article-about-neuroscience-and-the-justice-system/587165/2 "2011-06-28T21:06:24Z")

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I don’t care what kind of disease or handicap people have, they are responsible for their actions. It was good of the people with suspected brain injuries to get themselves checked out, I wish Charles Whitman had gone to a different doctor when his wouldn’t believe him. ☹

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**Author:** ![heavyarms553](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/779978/32.png) [@heavyarms553](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heavyarms553)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-article-about-neuroscience-and-the-justice-system/587165/3 "2011-06-28T21:13:31Z")

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I strongly endorse this article’s argument.