Pleading Insanity Mental Illness - 2901 Words

Julie Wanzer Dr. King 18 September 2014 English 1102 Pleading Insanity Too many times in today’s society people don’t consider mental illness to be anything other than, voices in one’s head, or being a suicidal maniac. But actually it goes a lot farther than that. People who have a mental illness have gotten worse over the past 20 years, not that the illness has gotten any worse, because it hasn’t, but what it has pushed people to do has been drastically different. One common thing that is very controversial in America today is if someone has murdered, and they have a mental illness, should their punishment be the same as anyone else, or they be acquitted because of their illness. Everyone certainly believes that murder is absolutely wrong not matter how it’s looked at, but where is the line drawn, that makes one have a mental illness and one just being absolutely cruel. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary a mental disability is referred to as â€Å"A mental or bodily condition marked primari ly by sufficient disorganization of personality, mind, and emotions to seriously impair the normal psychological functioning of the individual.† When one has a mental disability, they aren’t themselves. Therefore they don’t make decisions themselves. Once someone has murdered and they go to court they have three options, when they are pleading. They have guilty, not guilty, and not guilty with reason of insanity. First, the history of the insanity defense, according to Mark NolanShow MoreRelatedInsanity Defense Essay1469 Words   |  6 Pages Insanity is defined as a mental disorder of such severity as to render its victim incapable of managing his affairs or conforming to social standards. (Insanity, pg. 1) It is used in court to state that the defendant was not aware of what he/she was doing at the time of the crime, due to mental illnesses. But insanity is a legal, not a medical, definition. There is a difference between mental illness and going insa ne. Many problems are raised by the existence of the insanity defenseRead MoreThe Insanity Plea For Pleading Insane1616 Words   |  7 PagesOver the years the abuse of insanity plea, has troubled our American Justice System in our world today. The growth in this defense has increased so much that the expansion has asked the question; whether or not insanity plea is a worthy and justified defense to be used in the courts. The Insanity defense is when a criminal defendant can be found to have been legally insane when that defendant committed the crime they did at the time. In some cases, the criminal defendant pleads insane and gets aRead MoreThe Case Of John Wayne Gacy1254 Words   |  6 PagesEach year defendants claim to be mentally insane so they may receive medical treatment for their illness instead of serving jail or prison time. It is my belief that all mentally ill citizens should have the right to be medically treated. Although, not all of these people should be allowed back into society after they have reached their sanity. Some extreme cases such as the case of John Wayne Gacy who was proven insane should still never be let back onto the public streets. John Wayne Gacy murderedRead MoreThe Criminal Justice System: Different Types of Criminal Defense647 Words   |  3 Pagesstarting with: insanity, automatism, duress, self defense, intoxication, necessity/ lesser harm, and mistake of fact. The first criminal defense is pleading insanity which is an affirmative defense. Insanity is a â€Å"legal term rather than a medical one, and indicates a condition that renders the affected person incapable of rational thought, thereby removing criminal culpability† (Pollock, 2013). This means that a defendant is not responsible for their actions due to having mental health issues.Read MoreThe Argument Of The Insanity Defense1429 Words   |  6 PagesThe insanity defense has been a controversial issue among many individuals and legal experts. Whether or not an individual s current mental state can get in the way of their ability to differentiate right from wrong at the time of a committed crime has been a discussion of great debate among society. Although it is rarely used in criminal proceedings its credibility is still questioned by many people. People who believe that the insanity defense should be abolished argue that the individual committedRead MoreThe Psychological P erception Of Aaron And Mentally864 Words   |  4 Pagesmultiple personality disorder or dissociative identity disorder (â€Å"MPD/DID†), which proves Aaron’s whole argument. MPD/DID â€Å"is an illness that is characterized by the presence of at least two clear personality states, called alters, which may have different reactions, emotions, and body functioning† than can lead to â€Å"time and memory lapses and blackouts† . This illness is â€Å"is thought to be an effect of severe trauma during early childhood, usually extreme, repetitive physical, sexual, or emotionalRead MoreNot Guilty by Reason of Insanity1673 Words   |  7 PagesGuilty By Reason of Insanity? Lori Sheets The insanity defense is a defense by excuse. The defendant argues that they should not be held criminally responsible for breaking the law because they were mentally ill or mentally incompetent at the time of their alleged criminal action. The thought behind this is that someone suffering from a mental disorder is not capable of knowing or choosing right from wrong so they should not be punished. When this is the case, they are pleading not guilty by reasonRead MoreA Suitable Punishment And Razor Fruitcake. Insanity, By1605 Words   |  7 PagesFruitcake Insanity, by its dictionary definition, is the derangement of the mind. (Dictionary.com) It is used in everyday contexts, when people say â€Å"You are insane for doing that trick on your dirt bike † or â€Å" The traffic getting out of the game was insane last night!†. However the real definition, written by Cornell University Law School states that â€Å"A person accused of a crime can acknowledge that they committed the crime, but argue that they are not responsible for it because of their mental illnessRead MoreThe Court Of The Insanity Defense1451 Words   |  6 Pagesstandard for the insanity defense arose in the British courts in 1834 when a woodturner named Daniel M’Naghten shot and killed the secretary of England’s Prime Minister. The insanity defense is a difficult, but occasionally successful defense system in a court of law. The law varies from state to state however, the idea remains the same. The defense allows a small number of defendants to get out of a crime if they are deemed legally insane. Only being approximately 180 years old, the insanity defense allowsRead MoreThe Insanity Plea Is A Common Thing1144 Words   |  5 PagesThe insanity plea is a very rare but very often used plea in court. Many people try to get away with their crimes by pleading not guilty for reason of insanity but very rarely do people get by with it. There have been many tests and rules made since the insanity plea became a common thing. With every test, people would find loop holes and way through the system. The test we currently use is very specific and very hard to pass by and that is why so many people cannot plead guilty for reason of