Insanity Defense Case Study
Criminal Defense Case
Most people are aware of process to convict a criminal defendant. The prosecutor must prove “beyond a reasonable doubt” that the defendant is guilty of the crime in question, and that the accused is not required by law to present the court with any evidence, or prove he or she is innocent. Under the United States Constitution’s Fifth Amendment, a criminal defendant is not compelled to state under oath against himself. However, in some criminal trials, the defendant wants the opportunity to prove he or she is innocent by presenting the court with a defense. The following paper will discuss the various types of defenses criminal defendants can introduce to defend against criminal charges, and differentiate between the …show more content…
Since some individuals’ do suffer from a mental disorder, the insanity defense prevents them from undergoing any criminal penalties. Here are some important points of interest. Not often, but when a defendant does enter a plea of “not guilty by reason of insanity,” judges and jurors almost never supports it. Maybe it has to do with the conflicting agreements between the legal and medical perspective. There are several definitions when it comes to insanity since both the legal system and medical experts cannot agree on one single meaning. “McNaghten” defines insanity as “the inability to distinguish right from wrong.” “Irresistible impulse” defines insanity as “a person’s act may be wrong, but because of the mental illness his actions cannot be controlled.” Further, defendants found not guilty by reason of insanity is not released by confined to a mental institution for further evaluations, and in some cases, spends more time in the institute than they would if they were in prison. On behalf of the defense, a psychiatrist must testify after examining the case and defendant’s history (Find Law, …show more content…
Throughout this criminal defense case analysis, we were able to discuss the differences between criminal defenses of “I did not do it” (factual) and “I did it, but ...,” (legal), as well as explain the various types of defenses under each category. Further, we are able to conclude that although there are a variety of criminal defenses that can be used to defend a person’s innocence, does not necessarily mean that the courts will agree with his or her actions or defense to
Most people are aware of process to convict a criminal defendant. The prosecutor must prove “beyond a reasonable doubt” that the defendant is guilty of the crime in question, and that the accused is not required by law to present the court with any evidence, or prove he or she is innocent. Under the United States Constitution’s Fifth Amendment, a criminal defendant is not compelled to state under oath against himself. However, in some criminal trials, the defendant wants the opportunity to prove he or she is innocent by presenting the court with a defense. The following paper will discuss the various types of defenses criminal defendants can introduce to defend against criminal charges, and differentiate between the …show more content…
Since some individuals’ do suffer from a mental disorder, the insanity defense prevents them from undergoing any criminal penalties. Here are some important points of interest. Not often, but when a defendant does enter a plea of “not guilty by reason of insanity,” judges and jurors almost never supports it. Maybe it has to do with the conflicting agreements between the legal and medical perspective. There are several definitions when it comes to insanity since both the legal system and medical experts cannot agree on one single meaning. “McNaghten” defines insanity as “the inability to distinguish right from wrong.” “Irresistible impulse” defines insanity as “a person’s act may be wrong, but because of the mental illness his actions cannot be controlled.” Further, defendants found not guilty by reason of insanity is not released by confined to a mental institution for further evaluations, and in some cases, spends more time in the institute than they would if they were in prison. On behalf of the defense, a psychiatrist must testify after examining the case and defendant’s history (Find Law, …show more content…
Throughout this criminal defense case analysis, we were able to discuss the differences between criminal defenses of “I did not do it” (factual) and “I did it, but ...,” (legal), as well as explain the various types of defenses under each category. Further, we are able to conclude that although there are a variety of criminal defenses that can be used to defend a person’s innocence, does not necessarily mean that the courts will agree with his or her actions or defense to