The insanity defense is a criminal defense wherein an individual who is charged with a crime claims that they did not understand their actions as they were suffering from a mental illness or disability. It is treated as a request for a court-appointed trial, in which the accused must prove that their mental illness/illness was the primary reason they did not understand the nature of their alleged crime at the time it occurred. This defense has been used for more than a century, and its legality and definitions vary by state.
History of the Insanity Defense
The modern and accepted form of the insanity defense can be traced back to the trial of one Daniel M’Naghten in London in 1843. In this case, M’Naghten had attempted to assassinate the Prime Minister of the time but was acquitted due to his mental problems. The court at the time determined that if an individual could not understand the “wrongfulness” of their conduct based on their mental state, then they were not guilty of their crime.
Examples of the Insanity Defense
One of the more famous examples of the insanity defense was when Andrea Yates was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 2006 drowning deaths of her five children. Her legal team cited postpartum-psychosis as the reason for why she was unable to determine what was right or wrong at the time of her actions.
Conclusion
The insanity defense is complicated and controversial, but has been employed successfully in cases of criminal activities where a mental illness was a factor. This defense is meant to be used only in extreme circumstances and was created to safeguard the rights of those affected by mental illness. It is important to understand that the legal standards for the insanity defense vary from state to state and country to country.