Insanity defense

Insanity defenses are mostly used in murder cases such as the James Holmes case or other serious felony charges. Insanity tests that are used determine legal and moral liability which determines the validity of an insanity defense. Andersen and Gardner states, “When a defendant is found insane at the time the crime occurred, the court enters a judgment of not guilty by reason of insanity, and the defendant may never again be tried for that offense”(Gardner and Andersen 116). The insanity defense also discusses the charge/defense of guilty but mentally ill that has been adopted by certain states in the United States. According to Criminal Law Twelfth Edition, “The incidence of people who are found not guilty because of insanity and who then…

The Insanity Defense A serious American contemporary issue is the use of the insanity defense. The insanity defense is when a person being accused of a crime are legally sane but were not in the right state of mind when the crime had taken place. The insanity defense is a chance to help the person who was not in the normal state of mind. This defense is a compromise of society and law because not all mental ailments can be proven or disproven. The benefits of the insanity defense include…

Legal defense of “Not Criminally Responsible” as result of psychological disorders Psychology is used in the legal system in many ways, whether it is to assess the competency to stand trial, competency of eyewitness testimony, or asses the dangerousness of the psychopathy (Costano & Costanzo, 2013). In recent years a vast number of defences has used the argument that their clients are incompetent to stand trial or are not criminally responsible due to insanity or other psychological issues…

The mentally ill are grouped into a sector of evil or pity. The insanity defense challenges the jury’s empathy for the defendant, and, as much as the insanity defense is portrayed in film, the plea is not as common as one might think. Furthermore, the insanity defense is not a method of escaping justice, but instead, the plea is a method of ensuring the mentally ill are commensurately penalized.…

Does the insanity defense work or does it need to be reformed? The criminal law states that, “A person can only be held responsible for their actions if they have freely chosen them, rather than had them determined by forces beyond their control” (D. Emer, PowerPoint Presentation, October 19,2016). The insanity defense is an affirmative defense, meaning the defendant admits guilt but request their illness remove their legal responsibility. When determining inanity, experts must use retrospective…

health counseling and art therapy, this writer feels it is imperative to recognize the humanness of every individual, regardless of his or her condition. Therefore, when this writer finds herself in a hypothetical debate with a friend who believes the insanity defense is just a clever way to get around the law, this writer would view this situation as the perfect opportunity to educate this friend and inform him or her about the details of this controversial issue. In regards to how the legal…

This brief paper aims to support that the legal defense of an “Insanity Defense orPlea” in a courtroom should only be employed in cases where there is clear and documented evidence that a person’s criminal actions were impaired due to a diagnosed mental disorder that impacts their ability to control their own behaviors and/or fully appreciate or comprehend that their actions were wrong, illegal or prohibited. ForensicPsychology is a clinical psychology that interconnects two types of…

The defense team of Albert Fish tried to proclaim him insane and save him the capital punishment. In general, however, a successful insanity defense technique for a serial killer is not common, especially when it comes to such a big number of extremely heinous crimes committed against children. Fish was diagnosed with paranoid psychosis, yet found sane and responsible for his actions, thus sent to the electric chair (Hasselt & Hersen, 2013). The psychiatric testimony that was used in the…

The Insanity Defense. What constitutes its use? How can personality psychology server to the client’s advantage? How is this field of psychology used to better determine a criminal’s behavior? How often is this form of defense used, and how successful is it in serving as a “get out of jail free card”? Before one can even begin to fathom any of these questions, one must first understand what this defense signifies. As one of our moral checks on the Criminal Justice System (CJS), the insanity…

they get it? When the murderer is finally caught the family is elated with joy and anticipate justice will prevail. But, there’s a catch, as the suspect’s defense attorney is claiming he was insane at the time the crime was committed and intends to plead just that. The insanity defense has been around for centuries and has always been the center of debate. According to Zachary D. Torry and Stephen B. Billick (2007), a crime must have two key attributes evil intent (mens rea)…