Misconceptions About The Insanity Defense
The insanity defense is a controversial legal defense which states that a defendant should not be found culpable of a crime on the basis of insanity. The main factor that makes this defense so controversial is the difficulty in interpreting what exactly should be defined as insanity. To add the distortion, many different states also have completely different rules and attitudes towards the insanity defense. Many misconceptions about the insanity defense exist throughout society. For starters, the term insanity is strictly a legal term, not a psychological or medical term. Although various movies and television shows portray the insanity defense as a commonly used and successful defense, the opposite is true in reality. Even though statistics
vary depending on the state, it is estimated that approximately .85% of defendants actually use the insanity plea, while only around .26% are successful.
In 2010, a women in California was declared not guilty through the insanity defense after being accused of drowning her three year old daughter. A judge declared that the women, Jennifer Lynn Bingham, was now fit to be assimilated back into society. Before the decision, Bingham was being held at the Stanislaus County Jail and was receiving treatment at the local hospital, where two doctors testified that the psychotic symptoms which compelled Bingham to drown her daughter were no longer prevalent. This case is a key illustration of the different approaches that different states take towards the insanity defense, and it truly shows the important role that doctors play in the process. Although it is difficult to decide, the jury must have come to the conclusion that there was no way for Bingham to place intent behind the crime.
In 2015, a jury in Texas denied Eddie Ray Routh's plea for insanity and sentenced him to a lifetime in prison. Routh was being convicted for the murder of famous "American Sniper" Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield. A veteran of the Iraq war, Ruth is also considered to be struggling from PTSD. Since the actual murder of Kyle and Littlefield by Routh was not in question as Ruth would later admit the crime to the police, Routh's attorneys sought to prove that Routh was not in a sane state of mind. However, it would take the jury a mere three hours to deliver their final verdict and deny Routh's plea for insanity, sentencing him to a life in prison. Even though he was probably delusional, the jury concluded that since Routh was aware of his actions at the time of the shooting, he should not be covered my the insanity defense.
vary depending on the state, it is estimated that approximately .85% of defendants actually use the insanity plea, while only around .26% are successful.
In 2010, a women in California was declared not guilty through the insanity defense after being accused of drowning her three year old daughter. A judge declared that the women, Jennifer Lynn Bingham, was now fit to be assimilated back into society. Before the decision, Bingham was being held at the Stanislaus County Jail and was receiving treatment at the local hospital, where two doctors testified that the psychotic symptoms which compelled Bingham to drown her daughter were no longer prevalent. This case is a key illustration of the different approaches that different states take towards the insanity defense, and it truly shows the important role that doctors play in the process. Although it is difficult to decide, the jury must have come to the conclusion that there was no way for Bingham to place intent behind the crime.
In 2015, a jury in Texas denied Eddie Ray Routh's plea for insanity and sentenced him to a lifetime in prison. Routh was being convicted for the murder of famous "American Sniper" Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield. A veteran of the Iraq war, Ruth is also considered to be struggling from PTSD. Since the actual murder of Kyle and Littlefield by Routh was not in question as Ruth would later admit the crime to the police, Routh's attorneys sought to prove that Routh was not in a sane state of mind. However, it would take the jury a mere three hours to deliver their final verdict and deny Routh's plea for insanity, sentencing him to a life in prison. Even though he was probably delusional, the jury concluded that since Routh was aware of his actions at the time of the shooting, he should not be covered my the insanity defense.