Kiara Rivas
Philosophy 25
Due Date: 5/6/2015
Mock Trial: U.S v. Dominique Stephens The case I am presenting today is about a woman who admits to having killed her husband and is being charged with first degree murder. The woman’s name is Dominque Stephens and Mrs. Stephens claims that she has acted in self-defense after suffering many years of domestic violence in her marriage. The prosecution claims that Mrs. Stephens is not suffering from battered woman syndrome, that she can reason normally, and so she pre-mediated the murder of her husband the night of his death. The defense argues that Mrs. Stephens acted in self-defense on the basis of Battered Woman Syndrome and claims she experiences certain symptoms that correlate with the syndrome. …show more content…
Bobby Phoenix, an expert on batter woman syndrome, Sidney Miller, M.D, Physician at New Columbia Hospital Center, as well as the defendant, Dominique Stephens herself. On the side of the prosecution we have Detective Dana Hughes, from the Metropolitan Police Department, and Jordan Bright, Dominque Stephen’s sibling. The evidence presented at trial are the Metropolitan Police Department Statement, New Columbia Hospital Records, and a picture of the pistol used to kill Donovan Stephens. I decided to accept witness, Dr. Bobby Phoenix, as a professional on battered women syndrome. I’m basing his expertise on the fact that he is the Executive Director of the National Center for Women’s studies, he has a Ph.D. in Psychology from Georgetown University where he also teaches about domestic violence, and he is very knowledgeable on the subject. He has been specializing in battered women syndrome since the mid 1990’s (U.S. v. Dominique Stephens, …show more content…
Battered woman syndrome describes the mindset and the emotional state of a battered woman, woman who have experienced at least 2 episodes of repeated violence (RAINN). This syndrome is a pattern of behavior that includes constant physical and emotional abuse against his wife or girlfriend. Physical abuse can take forms of actual beating, choking, burning, restraining and even locking the woman up. Emotional abuse can lead to the condition, “learned helplessness”. Learned helplessness can cause women to believe they cannot escape, it causes them to be financially dependent, and as a result they suffer from isolation. Certain characteristics of the syndrome are: (1) The woman believes that the violence was or is her fault. (2)The women had an inability to place responsibility, for the violence elsewhere. (3)The woman fears for her life and her children’s. (4)The woman has an irrational belief that the abuse is omnipresent (RAINN). In this case women feel that they are unable to change or find a solution to their situation. She tries to think of reason why the battering continues and eventually she learns that she is unable to control and prevent the
Philosophy 25
Due Date: 5/6/2015
Mock Trial: U.S v. Dominique Stephens The case I am presenting today is about a woman who admits to having killed her husband and is being charged with first degree murder. The woman’s name is Dominque Stephens and Mrs. Stephens claims that she has acted in self-defense after suffering many years of domestic violence in her marriage. The prosecution claims that Mrs. Stephens is not suffering from battered woman syndrome, that she can reason normally, and so she pre-mediated the murder of her husband the night of his death. The defense argues that Mrs. Stephens acted in self-defense on the basis of Battered Woman Syndrome and claims she experiences certain symptoms that correlate with the syndrome. …show more content…
Bobby Phoenix, an expert on batter woman syndrome, Sidney Miller, M.D, Physician at New Columbia Hospital Center, as well as the defendant, Dominique Stephens herself. On the side of the prosecution we have Detective Dana Hughes, from the Metropolitan Police Department, and Jordan Bright, Dominque Stephen’s sibling. The evidence presented at trial are the Metropolitan Police Department Statement, New Columbia Hospital Records, and a picture of the pistol used to kill Donovan Stephens. I decided to accept witness, Dr. Bobby Phoenix, as a professional on battered women syndrome. I’m basing his expertise on the fact that he is the Executive Director of the National Center for Women’s studies, he has a Ph.D. in Psychology from Georgetown University where he also teaches about domestic violence, and he is very knowledgeable on the subject. He has been specializing in battered women syndrome since the mid 1990’s (U.S. v. Dominique Stephens, …show more content…
Battered woman syndrome describes the mindset and the emotional state of a battered woman, woman who have experienced at least 2 episodes of repeated violence (RAINN). This syndrome is a pattern of behavior that includes constant physical and emotional abuse against his wife or girlfriend. Physical abuse can take forms of actual beating, choking, burning, restraining and even locking the woman up. Emotional abuse can lead to the condition, “learned helplessness”. Learned helplessness can cause women to believe they cannot escape, it causes them to be financially dependent, and as a result they suffer from isolation. Certain characteristics of the syndrome are: (1) The woman believes that the violence was or is her fault. (2)The women had an inability to place responsibility, for the violence elsewhere. (3)The woman fears for her life and her children’s. (4)The woman has an irrational belief that the abuse is omnipresent (RAINN). In this case women feel that they are unable to change or find a solution to their situation. She tries to think of reason why the battering continues and eventually she learns that she is unable to control and prevent the