1.28.13
10th Lit/Comp Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, please take a look at the woman sitting in front of you. Take a good look. This woman, Mrs. Mary Maloney, sits here now, nearly 8 months with child, facing prison. Look at her eyes, pleading for help. Begging for the understanding. This woman could not have possibly known what she was doing when she struck her husband, detective Patrick Maloney. In that moment of temporary insanity, she made a mistake caused by the many hormones coursing through her body. On the night of his unfortunate death, her late husband had given Mrs. Maloney some shocking news. He informed her that he was leaving her for another woman. Upon hearing this news, Mrs. Maloney undoubtedly went into shock; a trance almost. "When she walked across the room, she couldn't feel her feet touching the floor. She couldn't feel anything except a slight sickness. She did everything without thinking." [Dahl] She had just received life changing news. She stopped thinking. She thought of nothing except the betrayal of her husband. As her husband crashed to the floor, this poor woman realized what she had done. Being the wife of a detective, she knew what her punishment would be if anyone found out. She tried to cover up her crime; establish an alibi. Not for herself, mind you. No! For her baby. For the child that was already doomed to a life without a father. "What were the laws about murderers with unborn children? Did they kill them both -- mother and child? Did they wait until the baby was born? What did they do? Mary Maloney didn't know and she wasn't prepared to take a chance." [Dahl] She wanted to protect her baby as best as she could. Lastly we will look at the fact that gave Mrs. Maloney away to begin with. While the detectives were eating the leg of lamb, the weapon used to strike Mr. Maloney, they heard a slight giggle. "And in the other room, Mary Maloney began to laugh." [Dahl] When questioned, Mrs. Maloney confessed what she had done, all the while still laughing madly. Now tell me, what mentally sane person would confess to murder while laughing? One wouldn't. I have made my point. Submitted my evidence. Stated the facts. Mrs. Mary Maloney had lost her mind when this unfortunate crime came about. Is a crime committed under that type of shock-in this unstable condition-worthy of prison? I think not. Mrs. Maloney was simply doing what she, at the moment, thought was the right choice. Any woman upon receiving news as was delivered to her that night would not be in her right mind at all. A woman with child would be even less stable. That is why today, I plea that Mrs. Mary Maloney should not go to prison, under cause of temporary insanity. Thank you.
Sources:
Dahl, Roald. Lamb to the Slaughter. New York City. Harper's Magazine. 1953.
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