This webinar draws from existing research to equip judges with knowledge and tools surrounding cases and interactions involving individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Specifically, it will discuss how judges can better identify defendants with ASD in court by recognizing and understanding distinctive characteristics of offending and courtroom behavior that may be exhibited in cases involving defendants with ASD. Judges will also be provided with guidance on aspects of the legal process in which ASD may be forensically significant for defendants, particularly focusing on sentencing decisions involving incarceration and conclude with recommendations for judges to consider adopting in their courts to improve the legal process for defendants with ASD. By providing evidence and resources on recognizing and understanding symptoms of ASD, defendants with ASD can have their symptoms and related behaviors better identified and evaluated in court. This webinar will enable judges to have more impactful and beneficial interactions with defendants, potentially by making appropriate procedural and sentencing adjustments before and during the legal process, and better ensure more positive and appropriate legal outcomes for defendants with ASD.

Presenter: Dr. Colleen Berryessa, Associate Professor, School of Criminal Justice, Rutgers University Newark. Dr. Berryessa joined the faculty at the Rutgers School of Criminal Justice in 2018. Her research examines how psychological processes, perceptions, attitudes, and social contexts influence the criminal justice system, particularly in relation to courts, sentencing, and forms of punishment broadly defined.