Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

Please help me prove my son has PTSD

In 2000 our son had his driver's lic. @ age 16. In Jan. '04 my husband was diagnosed with rare Shy-Drager Disease. In Dec.'04 my husband was told he was terminal and would have maybe 6 mo's left to live. That weekend our son got a DUI & a chase. He was put on house arrest & 3 yrs probation. His father died within 5 mo's of all this. NOTE: father's family history has several generations of brain anyerisms causing death in early ages. In mid-2007 his best friend/roommate moved back to MA. My son was never the same. Drugs? He was couch hopping @ friends from May- 07 to 4/4/08 at which he was arrested for ''yelling & standing outside in just his boxer's''. When the police apprehended him they said he ''resisted'' so they used ''excessive force'' and Jon almost died. He was in ICU for 24 hrs & in hospital for a week. The Dr who treated him said in the initial report that Jon possibly had a seizure. He is now facing (2)criminal charges of F69PC; 2 charges of 23153(a); & 2 charges of 14601.5(a) even tho' he was not driving. We are looking into a civil suit against the Police Dept (the arresting officer was fresh on the evening beat from the jail.) He is still held with no bail and is NOT receiving any medical attention in jail.


Asked on 6/10/08, 7:21 pm

2 Answers from Attorneys
Edward Hoffman Law Offices of Edward A. Hoffman

Re: Please help me prove my son has PTSD

I'm sorry to hear about everything you and your son have gone through, but you may be looking to the wrong people for help. PTSD is a medical diagnosis, not a legal doctrine. Only a psychiatrist can say whether your son has it. The fact that a diagnosis of PTSD might (or might not) be helpful to him in his criminal case will have no bearing on whether he actually has the condition.

Your son's defense attorney should be able to find some psychiatrists who can evaluate him for PTSD. As I said, though, even if he has it that fact may not help much in his court case.

Good luck.

Read more
Answered on 6/10/08, 7:43 pm
Jacek W. Lentz Law Offices of Jacek W. Lentz

Re: Please help me prove my son has PTSD

I can give you names of some prominent attorneys who specialize in civil police brutality lawsuits, if you e-mail me directly. They might be able to refer you to someone up north, if they are not interested in taking on the case themselves.

Jacek W. Lentz, Esq.

310.273.1361

www.lentzlawfirm.com

Read more
Answered on 6/10/08, 7:49 pm


Related Questions & Answers

More Criminal Law questions and answers in California