"Occupational defiant disorder"
All's well here. If any else, the recent folderol at my courthouse has taught me a new diagnosis to describe those of us who do juvenile criminal defense.
Update: this comment from Elizabeth is so good and so DSM-V worthy, it deserved to be moved up front where everyone could see it!
Occupational Defiance Disorder (ODD) is a psychiatric disorder that is characterized by two different sets of problems. These are aggressiveness and a tendency to purposefully bother and irritate governmental entities (otherwise referred to as "the man"). It is often the reason that people seek employment in indigent defense work. When ODD is present with PDS (public defender syndrome), or other psychiatric disorders, it makes life with that person far more difficult.
The criteria for ODD are:
A pattern of negativistic, hostile, and defiant behavior lasting at least six months during which four or more of the following are present:
1. often loses temper during preliminary hearings
2. often argues with investigators when they arrest a client because they "just had a feeling" he did something
3. often actively defies or refuses to comply with government attempts to violate our clients’ pesky constitutional rights
4. often deliberately annoys district attorneys for pleasure and sport
5. is often touchy or easily annoyed by 1 sentence police reports
6. is often angry and resentful when faced with incomprehensible bonds and sentencing
7. is often spiteful and vindictive towards misdemeanor probation officers
8. often reduces police officers to begging for forgiveness for failing at life and/or crying on the stand
9. is often un-appreciated by clerks when attempting to do the clerks’ job that the clerk failed to do the first time.
10. often defiant to the point of sheer bull-headedness when faced with pretextual tag light and window tint stops
The disturbance in behavior is evidence of clinically significant involvement in criminal defense work
:-) Maybe not just our juvenile defenders
Thank you, Elizabeth, wherever you are!
1 Comment:
Occupational Defiance Disorder (ODD) is a psychiatric disorder that is characterized by two different sets of problems. These are aggressiveness and a tendency to purposefully bother and irritate governmental entities (otherwise referred to as "the man"). It is often the reason that people seek employment in indigent defense work. When ODD is present with PDS (public defender syndrome), or other psychiatric disorders, it makes life with that person far more difficult.
The criteria for ODD are:
A pattern of negativistic, hostile, and defiant behavior lasting at least six months during which four or more of the following are present:
1. often loses temper during preliminary hearings
2. often argues with investigators when they arrest a client because they "just had a feeling" he did something
3. often actively defies or refuses to comply with government attempts to violate our clients’ pesky constitutional rights
4. often deliberately annoys district attorneys for pleasure and sport
5. is often touchy or easily annoyed by 1 sentence police reports
6. is often angry and resentful when faced with incomprehensible bonds and sentencing
7. is often spiteful and vindictive towards misdemeanor probation officers
8. often reduces police officers to begging for forgiveness for failing at life and/or crying on the stand
9. is often un-appreciated by clerks when attempting to do the clerks’ job that the clerk failed to do the first time.
10. often defiant to the point of sheer bull-headedness when faced with pretextual tag light and window tint stops
The disturbance in behavior is evidence of clinically significant involvement in criminal defense work
:-) Maybe not just our juvenile defenders
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