Hinkley was obsessed with the movie Taxi Driver, in which the main character -- a drifter like himself -- saves a teenage prostitute from her pimp through violence. Before his assassination attempt, Hinkley wrote a letter to Foster detailing how he was going to attempt to kill the president to win her attention (he had already sent her poems and love letters). Hinkley refused to cooperate with his defense attorneys unless they asked Foster to testify, enabling him to be in the same room as himself. "All the government psychiatrists concluded that Hinckley was legally sane -- that he appreciated the wrongfulness of his act -- at the time of the shooting. All three defense psychiatrists diagnosed Hinckley as psychotic -- and legally insane -- at the time of the shooting. Further evidence of the severity of Hinckley's mental problems came in May, two days before his twenty-sixth birthday, when he attempted suicide by overdosing on Valium. In November, he tried again -- this time hanging himself in his cell window" (Linder 2008). Hinkley's suicidal gestures, his absorption in the world of the film Taxi Driver, his fixation...
Finally, a "CAT-scan of Hinckley showing widened sulci in his brain was 'powerful' evidence of his schizophrenia: about one-third of schizophrenics have widened sulci, but only about 2% of the normal population" (Linder 2008). In response, the prosecution stressed Hinkley's ability to engage in foresight and planning regarding the assassination and suggested that although he may have been mentally ill, he still understood his actions were wrong. Yet even according to the strict, federal definition of insanity, Hinkley's words in a letter to the actress before the shooting suggest that he genuinely felt he was saving Jodie Foster, despite the fact that she barely knew him other than the odd letters he sent her.
If someone is mentally weak in any way, such as those who would be eligible for the insanity plea, sending them to prison would be very dangerous indeed, for they would be more likely to be influenced into being worse criminals. Additionally, those with disabilities, physical or mental, are even more likely than the general population to the raped and sexually abused behind bars. Evidence shows that one out
The Insanity Defense: Exploring Legal and Ethical Dimensions Introduction The insanity defense is a controversial legal strategy that allows individuals accused of committing a crime to claim that they were not mentally capable of understanding the nature of their actions or distinguishing right from wrong at the time of the offense. This defense is predicated on the belief that individuals suffering from severe mental illness or disorder should not be held criminally
If the Texas legislature would consider the addition of a volitional provision, no matter what form they might choose, would mark a substantial improvement to what presently exists. Such addition would represent a modernization in attitude and would allow the law in Texas to comport more closely with the prevailing societal views on mental health. Those with severe mental health issues deserve the opportunity of having their conditions treated. Lacking
Stu Dents Charges The author of this report has been asked to revisit the case of Stu Dents and the litany of crimes he is alleged to have committed against Uma Opee and in general. There is indeed a laundry list of issues to be seen and charges when it comes to Stu Dents and they will be listed out within this report. Each crime that applies will be listed and
For example, there is currently a case in Florida were a 50-year-old woman shot and killed her teenage son and daughter. She said she did it because they were "mouthy" to her and she was tired of it. There is no word yet on whether she will plead insanity, but there is evidence that she purchased a gun days before the shooting occurred (Brennan, 2011). That could block her
This is the loophole that both side tried to exploit during both the initial trial and the re-trial. 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
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