THE CASES OF FOUR PRISONERS WHO HAD EPILEPTIC FITS JUST BEFORE COMMITTING A CRIME AND FIVE WHO HAD SUCH AN EPISODE JUST AFTER COMMITTING A CRIME ARE REVIEWED, ALONG WITH FOUR OTHER CASES IN WHICH A POSSIBLE ASSOCIATION COULD BE CONSIDERED TO EXIST BETWEEN A CRIME AND AUTOMATISM. NONE OF THE CASES SHOWED CONVINCING EVIDENCE OF AUTOMATIC CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. OF 32 PATIENTS HOSPITALIZED BECAUSE OF VIOLENT CRIMES OR BEHAVIOR, ONLY 2 HAD PROBABLY OFFENDED OR ACTED OUT AS PART OF THE ICTAL PROCESS FROM WHICH THEY SUFFERED. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT AUTOMATIC BEHAVIOR IS A RARE EXPLANATION FOR THE CRIMES OF EPILEPTIC PATIENTS; THE EXCESS PREVALENCE OF EPILEPSY UNCOVERED IN THE PRISON POPULATION CANNOT BE EXPLAINED IN THIS WAY. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--KBL)