What must happen for someone to do that, and can you be found guility but mentally ill?thanks
2006-11-17 15:11:40 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Social Science ➔ Psychology
No,I believe in the law it doesn't exist.The definition of "insanity" in the law is not being able to differentiate between right and wrong.If you don't have the capabilities to realize you are doing something wrong you can't be held legally responsible.That doesn't mean freedom,though.It means mental hospital.
2006-11-17 15:22:41 · answer #1 · answered by redsox_becky 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Uh, you have to have a psychologist or psychiatrist who knows come to court and give a really good account of everything that is terribly wrong with you. If you're schizophrenic or have a severe personality disorder or something else very serious, then there's a chance that you'll be found not guilty.
There's a legal definition for insanity that is much more stringent than the common usage of the word and requires a lot of expert witnesses and a pattern of this kind of behavior, since many people just try to use this excuse to get an easier sentence. If you're found not guilty, you will probably still be sent to a mental hospital or somewhere else where you can be treated for your disorder without being a danger to others around you.
[Isn't that what prison should be?]
My personal opinion is that it's really hard to draw the line between guilty criminals and insane criminals, because every person who commits a crime must insane in some sense. By this, I mean that the criminal must have some faulty thoughts or morals that lead him to commit the crime. I think that the best way of fixing this is probably through some kind of cognitive therapy in which these values can be evaluated and changed. Punishment may give a person an incentive not to commit a crime, but then again, it may just lead him to develop more serious mental illnesses that cause worse behavior.
2006-11-17 23:29:55 · answer #2 · answered by Clueless 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have it backwards. The plea is NOT guilty by reason of insanity (or mental deficiency, depending on the legal district you are in). There is also the possibility of being found mentally incompetent to be sent to trial, in which case the charges may send you off to court at some date you are judged fit for trial at some future date.
2006-11-17 23:46:09 · answer #3 · answered by Fred C 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The fact is everyone is insane to some degree in this world. What is the definition. They do not know who they are. Lost identity. This is 99% of the people in the world. We are not these bodies or minds yet we think we are. We are spirit souls part and parcel of the Supreme Soul also known as Krishna, Allah, Jehovah. No one gets off for anything. If they get off it is only for some time and in their next life will pay the price more severely. Better to learn the lesson in this life so you don't have to suffer worse in the next. Go to http://www.stephen-knapp.com for universal truths and who we really are
2006-11-17 23:56:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋