Forgotten crime

Madisons lawyers have appealed against his death sentence, and presented his case before the US Supreme Court earlier this week. The case raises complex philosophical, legal and ethical questions about the purpose ofthe death penalty and what it means to truly understand ones own guilt. In a joint amicus brief filed to the Supreme Court, the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association say that neuropsychological tests and advances in neuroimaging can accurately assess cognitive capacity, precluding any concerns that in the future, courts might see a flood of appeals from people who falsely claim to have no memory of their crime.