Insanity

Combining the Past and a Plan The insanity plea is like trying to hold water in a fish net. Attempting to apply boundaries to something as intangible as the concept of insanity is bound to spark controversy. Challenging, yet necessary, the application of how laws should affect the mentally ill is an unavoidable issue that needs to be confronted head on. Two experts in their fields, Julie E. Grachek and Joseph Goldstein, share their opinion on the insanity plea in each of their law journal…

Insanity in the eye of society is interpreted into various conditions, such as a deranged state of mind, lack of understanding required by law to enter society, or extreme folly and unreasonableness. In the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey, there is no doubt that some of the characters are in the asylum because of mental illness and health issues. Yet, their insanity is questioned when McMurphy shows up. McMurphy isn’t like the other patients, he rebels against the rules in the…

determination could be relayed to the court. An article entitled, Rationality, Insanity, and the Insanity Defense: Reflections on the Limits of Reason written by Theodore Y.…

People often have a misconception when it comes towards the terms mental illness and mental insanity - which in fact both terms are entirely disparate. To be mentally insane, means to have no recognition between reality and fantasy but unlike suffering from mental insanity, to suffer from mental illness means the person does have recognition of their surroundings however, they have affected mood behaviors, (Brewbaker). Therefore,when person suffers from a mental health problem and is charged…

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.…

The insanity plea is a defense in the court of law put in place for people who suffer from mental illness and commit crimes. Under this defense, the mentally ill are not entirely held responsible for their actions given the terms that they were not in the correct state of mind when the crime took place. The person would admit to committing the crime, but then say they are not guilty by reason of insanity (Francone). This plea has been used in my cases throughout history. The presence of this…

understanding and perceptions of real world problems. In particular, the “Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity” plea has become an infamous legal concept as an outcome of its’ use in courtrooms and entertainment mediums throughout Hollywood. Successful NGRI verdicts of trials following notorious crimes are broadcasted on the news, only bringing awareness to the crime but never the steps or reasoning in determining insanity, falsely depicting that anyone can plea insane. For example, the news over…

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 system of the United States handles crimes committed by individuals who suffer from mental illness, specifically schizophrenia as in the assumed case of Mr. Quincy, it is crucial to consider the important reason why the insanity defense…

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…

definition of insanity is “a severely disordered state of the mind usually occurring as a specific disorder” (Merriam-Webster). The abstract definition is “to deal with heightened stress in un-methodistic ways”. In The Things They Carried, by writer and Vietnam war veteran, Tim O’Brien, every character deals with being in the brutal circumstances of the Vietnam war by either using drugs, creating a delusion, or by simply giving up all forms of hope. So the question is, “How would you define…