Medical experts: Investigation of Insanity by Juries

The essay examines the fraught role of medical experts in judicial inquiries into alleged insanity, focusing on California practice and a statutory right to a jury trial. It argues that physicians lack legal protection and authoritative weight in court, then outlines problems: evolving medical knowledge, the need for continual study, the temptation of partisan, attorney-guided testimony, and overreliance on isolated experience rather than collective data. It advocates greater impartiality, sustained professional learning, and procedural reforms to ensure medical testimony is informed, credible, and justly considered in legal determinations of mental disorder.