Conner Henman
B7 Rue
The Economics and Political Views of the Insanity Defense
Is the insanity plea a valid defense?
Word Count: 841
A
The insanity defense is a defense by excuse in a criminal case, arguing that the defendant is not responsible for their actions due to an episodic or persistent psychiatric disease at the time of the criminal act. Often used by murderers and serial killers who are actually clinically insane. The percentage of NGRI (not guilty by reason of insanity) defenses success rates remains constant at around 0.26 percent. (Occupytheory) That is about 26 out of every 1000 cases where the insanity plea may be granted, but it always does come with a cost.
If the insanity defense is granted in a case, …show more content…
He faces a total of 166 counts, including murder and attempted murder. He was granted insanity in his case and will not face the death penalty. His trial began on April 27, 2015. It lasted 11 weeks, after which he was found guilty. On August 24, Holmes was sentenced to 12 consecutive life sentences, plus 3,318 years in prison, without the possibility of parole. He attempted to plea insanity and while he will still serve multiple life sentences, he will not be put to death. The M’Naughten rule is when a test is applied to a person accused of a crime to determine if he/she was sane at the time of its commission and, therefore, criminally responsible for the wrongdoing. Criminal defendants who are found to be legally insane cannot be convicted of charges arising from that particular mental defect or disability. Courts use one of several legal tests to determine whether a defendant actually is legally insane, depending on the jurisdiction. They include the Model Penal Code Test; the Durham Rule; the Irresistible Impulse Test; and the M'Naghten Rule.
B7 Rue
The Economics and Political Views of the Insanity Defense
Is the insanity plea a valid defense?
Word Count: 841
A
The insanity defense is a defense by excuse in a criminal case, arguing that the defendant is not responsible for their actions due to an episodic or persistent psychiatric disease at the time of the criminal act. Often used by murderers and serial killers who are actually clinically insane. The percentage of NGRI (not guilty by reason of insanity) defenses success rates remains constant at around 0.26 percent. (Occupytheory) That is about 26 out of every 1000 cases where the insanity plea may be granted, but it always does come with a cost.
If the insanity defense is granted in a case, …show more content…
He faces a total of 166 counts, including murder and attempted murder. He was granted insanity in his case and will not face the death penalty. His trial began on April 27, 2015. It lasted 11 weeks, after which he was found guilty. On August 24, Holmes was sentenced to 12 consecutive life sentences, plus 3,318 years in prison, without the possibility of parole. He attempted to plea insanity and while he will still serve multiple life sentences, he will not be put to death. The M’Naughten rule is when a test is applied to a person accused of a crime to determine if he/she was sane at the time of its commission and, therefore, criminally responsible for the wrongdoing. Criminal defendants who are found to be legally insane cannot be convicted of charges arising from that particular mental defect or disability. Courts use one of several legal tests to determine whether a defendant actually is legally insane, depending on the jurisdiction. They include the Model Penal Code Test; the Durham Rule; the Irresistible Impulse Test; and the M'Naghten Rule.