The Insanity of the Temporary Insanity Defense Essay

Not Guilty, By reason of Insanity! These words have stung the ears of many courtroom observers, especially the families and friends of victims whose lives were snuffed out by a so-called insane assailant. While there are indeed many insane people running around the streets today, I feel that many persons who use the temporary insanity defense are more conniving than insane. Also, being an inexact science, the psychiatric community often offers up differing opinions as to any particular individuals sanity. Furthermore, money or lack thereof can play a major role in the success or failure of an insanity defense. The temporary insanity defense should therefore be abolished, especially for felony offenses such as murder. What†¦show more content†¦Below are listed some of the defenses that have received a great deal of media attention over the past few years. First, Roid Rage is characterized by severe mood swings related to steroid use. This defense lessened the sentence of 19 year-old Troy Gentzler, who admitted throwing rocks at cars on the highway injuring several people. Secondly, Black Rage is defined at racial prejudice-induced insanity. Lawyers for Colin Ferguson, the black man who killed five white people and one Asian-American and wounded nineteen others on a Long Island railroad wanted to use this plea but Ferguson decided to mount his own defense. Next, theres Urban Survival Syndrome which is described as the fear that inner-city black people have of other black people. A Fort Worth jury ended up deadlock in the case of 19 year-old Daimion Osby, a black man who shot two other unarmed black men in a parking lot. The so-called Meek-make Syndrome is the psychological emasculation of the man by his spouse. By using this defense, a man in Los Angeles had the charge of murder reduced to voluntary manslaughter in the death-by-beating (with a wrench) of his wife. His lawyers claimed that she had destroyed his self-esteem by calling him nam es and forcing him to sleep on the floor. Fetal Trimethadione Syndrome, the result of a mothers use of epilepsy medication during pregnancy, was the defense offered by the lawyers of a 14 year-old boy who beat to death another 14 year-old boy. TheShow MoreRelatedThe Insanity Plea For Pleading Insane1616 Words   |  7 PagesOver the years the abuse of insanity plea, has troubled our American Justice System in our world today. The growth in this defense has increased so much that the expansion has asked the question; whether or not insanity plea is a worthy and justified defense to be used in the courts. The Insanity defense is when a criminal defendant can be found to have been legally insane when that defendant committed the crime they did at the time. In some cases, the criminal defendant pleads insane and gets aRead MoreThe Defense Of The Insanity Defense1342 Words   |  6 PagesThe insanity defense is the most controversial criminal defense that is used in courts (The Insan ity). Ironically, it is the defense that is used the least. According to a professor of law at Santa Clara University, Professor Alexander, the plea is only used one percent of the time, and works less than half the time it is used (Steibel). In cases where it is used, it tends to get a lot of attention from the media which provokes debate from the public (The Insanity). Critics have reservations concerningRead MoreForensic Psychology Essay985 Words   |  4 Pagesis the insanity defense used and how successful is it? I would like to answer this question, with the presentation of my opinion and the performed research. It is within my opinion, that the insanity defense is used over excessively and is taking part in almost every defense to any crime. 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