Question

We were assigned to write an essay on the Monty Delk case and each paragraph must include the following:

-Overall summary and reflection of the case.

-Do you agree or disagree with Monty Delk's sentencing? Why or why not?

-How does ethics play a role in mental health in the Monty Delk case?

Answer 1

Overall summary and reflection of the case.

Monty Delk was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, psychotic breaks and delusions at different points in his time at the prison. Later, it was told that he had boasted to a fellow inmate that he had "played the fool" to escape execution. This led him to be charged with malingering to avoid execution. This claim reversed all mental illness diagnoses and landed him the execution which could not be averted at that point in time. A lot has been talked about how none of the malingering claims had been substantiated prior to reversing the mental illness diagnoses. This is a reflection of the state of affairs for inmates with mental illnesses who were not competent enough to even support their case. Monty Delk was incapable of helping himself with the proceedings of the court even though a prosecutor was assigned for him. He was incompetent enough that all he did was talk gibberish, obscenities, and disrupt court proceedings because he was unable to comprehend the nature of his situation. He had his periods of sanity where he understood and displayed normality that made people think that malingering was his aim. But later, it evident that he did indeed suffer from Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Do you agree or disagree with Monty Delk's sentencing? Why or why not?

I do not agree with Monty Delk's sentencing. This is because he has displayed time and over again that he was incompetent to help himself. Also, prison doctors did diagnose him with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia at different points of his stay in prison. He has been described by his own counsel at unhelpful because all he could do was talk gibberish and obscenities. There is a clear indication that some kind of mental illness is making him incompetent to fight his case. A mentally incompetent person cannot be executed and therefore I do not agree with Monty Delk's sentencing.

How do ethics play a role in mental health in the Monty Delk case?

Ethics plays a crucial role and the failure to uphold ethics is paramount in Monty Delk's case. Initially, the doctors and multiple psychiatrists did diagnose him with bipolar disorder. When there was the malingering claim, they all reversed their diagnoses and did not reexamine him or make the efforts to establish a better framework to identify malingering from clear cut cases of mental illnesses. Eventually, this led to the execution of Monty Delk, without him being competent enough to help and support himself while the state could have because he clearly was mentally ill.