See the reference in the clinical section of this site to Traumatic Amnesia: The Evolution of Our Understanding From a Clinical and Legal Perspective, by
Charles L. Whitfield, MD, for an overview of the empirical evidence over the past 100 years that, contrary to some assertions, traumatic amnesia
does occur and is common.
Read about the Special Edition of Ethics & Behavior -- A must-read
for anyone concerned with the issue of recovered memories.
Leadership Council on Child Abuse & Interpersonal Violence tracks well-known cases involving
so-called "false memory syndrome" as well as other high-profile cases involving child abuse, such as that of Michael Jackson.
RememberingDangerously.com, attorney Jennifer Hoult's website.
Attorney, MIT law professor and NBC News legal analyst Wendy Murphy's
Debunking 'false memory' myths in sexual abuse cases," from
Trial, November 1997, explains some of the legal intricacies behind the fact that certain recovered memory cases against alleged abusers have been subject to dismissal orders and summary judgment decisions,
denying victims their day in court.:
"False memory syndrome. This simply does not exist as a recognized medical condition. The
phrase was coined by the False Memory Syndrome Foundation, an organization formed to provide
legal and emotional support to those accused of sexual
abuse." -- Murphy
Attorney Susan K. Smith has posted an article about the April, 1998, Supreme Court of Arizona
ruling in Doe v. Roe (links to full text of decision): Florez Revisited: Arizona Rethinks Its Approach to Extending Statutes of
Limitation in Childhood Sexual Abuse Cases.
Law professor Lynn Henderson's article, "Suppressing Memory," reviews several works in the area of recovered memories and was published in Law & Social Inquiry.
You can obtain a copy by sending your postal mail address to Prof. Henderson at: LynnHenderson@law.indiana.edu.
(Prof. Henderson indicates that she may be offline during the summer months.)
Thursday, September 10, 1998: Calof Attorney Receives Washington State Bar Association Courageous Award - A. Stephen Anderson of
Seattle was awarded the WSBA Courageous Award at its annual
Awards Luncheon held today at the Seattle Space Needle. The
Courageous Award is presented to a lawyer who has displayed
exceptional courage in the face of adversity.
Mr. Anderson is recognized for his work on behalf of his client
David Calof in Calof v. Noah and Calof v. Casebeer, Noah, et al.
David Calof is a Seattle psychotherapist who is a noted author,
lecturer and editor.
The International Society for the Study of Dissociation issued a press
release in fall, 1997, regarding the case of Houston, Texas, psychologist Judith Peterson, who faces
Federal criminal charges. The press release discusses salient areas of concern for all mental health professionals, chiefly the
Federal government's apparent criminalization of the practice of psychotherapy.
Legal Aspects of 'False Memory Syndrome'