Inmate not guilty in fetal alcohol defects case

Inmate not guilty in fetal alcohol defects case
By STEVEN ELBOW The Capital Times selbow@madison.com | Posted: Sunday, November 1, 2009 7:45 am
Tyler Mills finally got what he wanted: a mental defect that carries some weight in court.

The 30-year-old state prison inmate last week was found not guilty of a crime because of defects caused by his exposure to alcohol when still in the womb. Experts who track court cases involving fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) say it's the first time in Wisconsin a defendant has been found to be not guilty because of the array of physical and mental defects caused by alcohol use by pregnant women.

And some think it could open the door to a more enlightened approach to dealing with criminal defendants suffering the effects of the disorder.

Todd Winstrom, formerly an attorney for Disability Rights Wisconsin, the state-appointed advocacy group for disabled individuals, says the case sets an important precedent. Read more..........