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Combat PTSD

By Melody Evans and Kirk Redmond

We probably have all represented, by now, veterans of the Iraq or Afghan [Bush] wars. Undoubtedly there will be more to come. Some judges ? notably war veterans ? have been reluctant to grant any leniency to our clients who suffer from the ravaging effects of recent combat. Now, from SCOTUS, we have some language to help:Our Nation has a long tradition of according leniency to veterans in recognition of their service, especially for those who fought on the front lines as Porter did.8 Moreover, the relevance of Porter?s extensive combat experience is not only that he served honorably under extreme hardship and gruesome conditions, but also that the jury might find mitigating the intense stress and mental and emotional toll that combat took on Porter...continue to full post

Full post as published by Kansas Federal Defender on December 03, 2009 (boomark / email).