First it was 'Affluenza', Now Comes 'intermittent explosive disorder'

[tay]

A New York City lawyer accused of beating and strangling his girlfriend suffers from "intermittent explosive disorder," according to a defense psychiatrist who has consulted for the "Law and Order" TV series.

Jason Bohn, 35, is on trial for first-degree murder in the 2012 death of Danielle Thomas, 27, a Weight Watchers executive. In an unusual legal turn, Bohn’s attorneys claim the crime stems from the neglect of his mother, publishing executive Maureen O’Connell. O’Connell began devoting herself to her career when Bohn was 10, his attorneys argue – and his those issues triggered his uncontrollable rage.

Forensic psychiatrist Alexander Sasha Bardey, a consultant for the crime drama “Law and Order: SVU,” claims Bohn suffers from “intermittent explosive disorder” and that Bohn “blew up” and had no idea what he was doing when he killed Thomas, the New York Post reports.

Thomas was found in the apartment she shared with Bohn, her body in a tub filled with ice. Officials say surveillance video taken the day of her murder shows the Ivy League-educated attorney buying ice.

Days later, Bohn left a voicemail message for an ex-girlfriend, saying, “Danielle is dead … I don’t remember anything that happened, OK? I think I pushed her.”

Prosecutors also played another message in court – left as Thomas was being attacked on the night of her death, the dying woman repeatedly saying, “I can’t breathe.”

The recording was so troubling, her family had to leave the courtroom when it was played.

If convicted, Bohn could spend 25 years to life behind bars. He's pleaded not guilty and doesn't dispute killing Thomas but he is hoping for lesser manslaughter charges


video


http://abcnews.go.com/US/ny-lawyer-jason-bohn-claims-maternal-neglect-girlfriends/story?id=22598249

 

[Cannuck]

So what's the issue? On the service, it doesn't sound like 1st degree. It's almost irrelevant if the disorder is real....unless there is more to the story than the OP indicates

 

[petros]

A woman I saw on the tube "how could something like this happen here, (drug bust) we live in an effluent neighbourhood".

 

[damngrumpy]

I think this is not only nonsense I am beginning to believe the law suffers from
total dysfunctional and delusional disorder and needs rehabilitating or replacement.
There will be an excuse for everything pretty soon and murder will be normal.
It is time to limit the excuses and get on with justice not revenge justice.

 

[tay]

So what's the issue? On the service, it doesn't sound like 1st degree. It's almost irrelevant if the disorder is real....unless there is more to the story than the OP indicates

Why doesn't it 'sound' like 1st Degree ?


I think the Lawyer thinks it's first degree and that's why he is blaming his mommy for it.........

 

[Cannuck]

Why doesn't it 'sound' like 1st Degree ?


I think the Lawyer thinks it's first degree and that's why he is blaming his mommy for it.........

Where is the evidence that it was premeditated?

 

[tay]

Where is the evidence that it was premeditated?

Assuming it's not, my answer would be that since the disorder is intermittent, and could strike at any time, he should spend the rest of his life in a detention facility to make sure he doesn't act out again. In fact, since there is no known cure for this disorder, he should not get parole until a cure has been found for his illness..........

 

[barra]

Assuming it's not, my answer would be that since the disorder is intermittent, and could strike at any time, he should spend the rest of his life in a detention facility to make sure he doesn't act out again. In fact, since there is no known cure for this disorder, he should not get parole until a cure has been found for his illness..........

Exactly!

Whether it was pre-meditated or not, it is still the murder of an innocent person. Throw the bloody book at him!
Good gracious the gullibility of some so called "professionals" ie in this story. Lets blame mom and dad for all our problems as adults, that seems to be the new age way. Lets make up some trumped up psychological disorder and deflect REAL culpability on the person where it really belongs to some kind of disorder blamed on mom and dad.

Murder, is murder, is murder ~ and is still murder by any other name.

This murderers mother went to work, and no one says if she had to do so to put food on the table or a roof over his head. Why is he then not blaming his father for not staying home with him? What a duplicitous society that drums up such tripe about real murder.

Self defense is another story. But this...I am speechless...and sad for the family of the murdered woman.

I think this is not only nonsense I am beginning to believe the law suffers from
total dysfunctional and delusional disorder and needs rehabilitating or replacement.
There will be an excuse for everything pretty soon and murder will be normal.
It is time to limit the excuses and get on with justice not revenge justice.

Very well said!

 

[taxslave]

In our lefty society no one is responsible for their own actions.

 

[Sal]

I think it is wonderful that they can pin point the cause.

As for guilt or innocence, he either did it or he did not. Short of self defense, the rest is irrelevant. But a nice touch with the attempted defence and his lawyer gets props for creativity.

 

[barra]

I think it is wonderful that they can pin point the cause.

As for guilt or innocence, he either did it or he did not. Short of self defense, the rest is irrelevant. But a nice touch with the attempted defence and his lawyer gets props for creativity.

No kidding, extremely creative to the point of absurd.

They actually can't pinpoint the a cause for this mans violence against this woman as a real condition. Not only a totally unproven (and ridiculous) condition, there has to be decades of research and real evidence and precedent making law before he can get off on such a "condition" or even "claim" such a condition. It took well over a century for insanity pleas to be accepted in a court of law, longer for "temporary insanity", with codicils of course. If one goes back to 18th century law, maybe even 200 years for something formal to set precedent law.

So, this new term? "intermittent explosive disorder"? needs a lot more proof and research to back up a proper court sanctioned plea. And the whole think smacks of ridiculous and trying to get people off murder charge or off being culpable for their actions. Akin to an "emperors new clothes type syndrome amoung psychologists - legalese etc perhaps.

Some men or women kill - and trying to call it by something else ---- other than self-defense or complete insanity, is wrong and unjust to the victims and their family.

 

[Sal]

No kidding, extremely creative to the point of absurd.

They actually can't pinpoint the a cause for this mans violence against this woman as a real condition. Not only a totally unproven (and ridiculous) condition, there has to be decades of research and real evidence and precedent making law before he can get off on such a "condition" or even "claim" such a condition. It took well over a century for insanity pleas to be accepted in a court of law, longer for "temporary insanity", with codicils of course. If one goes back to 18th century law, maybe even 200 years for something formal to set precedent law.

So, this new term? "intermittent explosive disorder"? needs a lot more proof and research to back up a proper court sanctioned plea. And the whole think smacks of ridiculous and trying to get people off murder charge or off being culpable for their actions. Akin to an "emperors new clothes type syndrome amoung psychologists - legalese etc perhaps.

Some men or women kill - and trying to call it by something else ---- other than self-defense or complete insanity, is wrong and unjust to the victims and their family.

Affluenza, intermittent explosive disorder, I love these new terms and they are very apt and descriptive and possibly even insightful, if we really stretch it, however, they are irrelevant as an excuse for murder. He is guilty.

How we chose to treat such mental aberrations depends upon our ability to understand and predict such behaviour. At this point, we can not and until we can raise the dead, her life has been irreparably changed and that must be at the forefront of consideration.

 

[barra]

Affluenza, intermittent explosive disorder, I love these new terms and they are very apt and descriptive and possibly even insightful, if we really stretch it, however, they are irrelevant as an excuse for murder. He is guilty.

How we chose to treat such mental aberrations depends upon our ability to understand and predict such behaviour. At this point, we can not and until we can raise the dead, her life has been irreparably changed and that must be at the forefront of consideration.

Agreed.

 

[Cannuck]

Assuming it's not, my answer would be that since the disorder is intermittent, and could strike at any time, he should spend the rest of his life in a detention facility to make sure he doesn't act out again. In fact, since there is no known cure for this disorder, he should not get parole until a cure has been found for his illness..........

My point is, he is being charged with first degree murder and the prosecution has to prove premeditation. The defense doesnt need to prove the disorder exists. The guys does not dispute the fact that he killed her. Seems to me it's a slow news day

 

[petros]

his girlfriend suffers from "intermittent explosive disorder,"

In the old days they called that PMS

 

[WLDB]

As for guilt or innocence, he either did it or he did not. Short of self defense, the rest is irrelevant. But a nice touch with the attempted defence and his lawyer gets props for creativity.

With the way criminal law works the rest isnt irrelevant. You need the intent as well as the act. Act alone isnt enough for a conviction. To change that would be a major change in the law.

This is an odd one though.

 

[Sal]

With the way criminal law works the rest isnt irrelevant. You need the intent as well as the act. Act alone isnt enough for a conviction. To change that would be a major change in the law.

This is an odd one though.

yeah I hear what you are saying except that his intent was to kill her and he did.

 

[The Old Medic]

"Intermittent Explosive Disorder" is a well recognized psychiatric disorder. It does NOT however cause "black outs", and it is not an excuse for killing another person.

 

[shadowshiv]

Being a lawyer, I am sure he knows of potential loopholes that he can try to wriggle through to be found guilty only of the lesser crime.

If he truly suffered a bout of it, why would he fill the tub with ice? Why wouldn't he just call the police and explain his actions? Wouldn't he just say that he suffered from it from the get-go rather than wait and see what his options were?

 

[barra]

"Intermittent Explosive Disorder" is a well recognized psychiatric disorder. It does NOT however cause "black outs", and it is not an excuse for killing another person.

Intermittent Explosive Disorder is still being studied and while has some discrepancies amoung professionals, is fairly new term in psychiatry less than 20 years is very new by those standards. And some research ongoing indicates isolating things further in early 2000's.
It is still in study, and identifiers are there, but exceptions to that "disorder" would make it very hard to prove this man had such a disorder. In particular as a lawyer and more public figure, if he did not have outbursts in the past, he is going to have a helluva time proving it this time.

I have strong opinions as do many others (including professionals in medical fields) about labelling something as a "disorder" when in fact many of these disorders can be controlled or managed with good parenting and good home environment when young, or when staying away from mind altering substances, which includes alcohol.

IMHO that last part. Everything we do, if it is not societally correct, gets a label but it does not mean it is not preventable. In most cases many would argue good behaviour can be learned and angry over testosterone bearing outbursts can be managed.

Regardless of opinions on the so called disorder, the man appears to have premeditated the killing of his girlfriend and is trying to find a loophole as mentioned by others.