However, the case caused a public uproar, and Queen Victoria ordered the court to develop a stricter test for insanity. The court acquitted M'Naghten "by reason of insanity," and he was placed in a mental institution for the rest of his life. Englishman Daniel M'Naghten shot and killed the secretary of the British Prime Minister, believing that the Prime Minister was conspiring against him. The first famous legal test for insanity came in 1843, in the M'Naghten case. So long as a defendant is deemed incompetent, the insanity defense becomes moot as the defendant cannot stand trial. The threshold for establishing competency is often identified as notoriously low. A defendant may move at any time for a hearing to determine competency, which involves the submission of supporting evidence and some form of a psychological evaluation. As articulated by the Supreme Court in Dusky, a defendant is incompetent if he or she is incapable of rationally communicating with his or her attorney or rationally comprehending the nature of the proceedings against him or her. In accordance with due process requirements, a criminal defendant cannot stand trial if he or she is deemed legally incompetent. CompetencyĪn important procedural corollary to the insanity defense involves the establishment of legal competency, otherwise known as competence to stand trial. Hinckley, concerning the assassination attempt against then-President Ronald Reagan. One of the most famous recent uses of the insanity defense came in United States v. A diminished capacity defense can be used to negate the element of intent to commit a crime. While "reason of insanity" is a full defense to a crime - that is, pleading "reason of insanity" is the equivalent of pleading "not guilty" - "diminished capacity" is merely pleading to a lesser crime. Diminished CapacityĪlthough the defense known as "diminished capacity" bears some resemblance to the "reason of insanity" defense (in that both examine the mental competence of the defendant), there are significant differences between them. The insanity defense is classified as an excuse defense, rather than a justification defense. In an insanity defense, the defendant admits the action but asserts a lack of culpability based on mental illness. The insanity defense refers to a defense that a defendant can plead in a criminal trial.
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