No one questions the claim that Yates was mentally ill, either before or during the events that took place. However, in the trial, the decision and weight of prosecution's case lied in the ideal that she had some semblance of knowledge that what she was about to do was wrong. Her mental illness undoubtedly had an effect on how she perceived her actions. She felt that ending her children's lives early would save them from eternal damnation (Dix, 2005).
Two key facts led to the decision in the first trial that she "knew" what she was doing, and that it was "wrong." The first is that she took precautions against being interrupted until she had completed the task. She locked the family dog in the cage when the dog raised protests to her actions (Dix, 2005). This demonstrated some form of mental presence and "purpose" to her actions. The second is that she notified authorities immediately after the acts and asked for a police officer instead of an ambulance (Dix, 2005). This was interpreted by the prosecution as an indication that she was aware that what she had done was "wrong." These are the key elements that led to her conviction in the first trial. Even if her sense of knowing that what she was doing was wrong, she was still aware of at least some moral and criminal consequences of her actions. In the second trial, the definition of "know" and "wrong" were once again skewed, leading to the second verdict.
Analysis and Conclusion
This case brings into light the importance of making certain that juries understand the definitions of the terms used in the case. In this case, it appears that in Texas insanity has two different definitions. One of these definitions stems from a clinical state of mind. Insanity also has a legal connotation, which sometimes conflicts with the clinical use of the term. It is easy to call a person insane when they have a history of hallucinations, psychosis and other critical factors that would lead a clinician to determine that the person is "outside" of normal parameters and in need of intervention. However, when this person commits a criminal act, the legal definitions become involved and the issue becomes clouded.
Due to Texas policy on providing juries...
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