Criminal Defense Lawyers
We have all heard of pleading insanity when it comes to intense criminal cases involving murder, kidnapping, or even battery. When you think insanity, you automatically think that the defendant pleading this is crazy or mentally ill. When defendants plead insanity, their defense is mainly that they were out of their minds, or blacked out, and had no idea what they were doing. How Google defines insanity and how a psychologist defines insanity is completely different according to an attorney from the Lynch Law Group.
In order for you to use this for your defense it would be beneficial to have a mental medical history that either runs in your family or has been documented with a licensed physician. Not every mental illness can be connected to criminal activity so if this is a defense you or someone you know thinks they can use it needs to be understood that this mental disability made it impossible to understand your actions and the extent of its legality.
To plead insanity is not just having a mental illness. Mental illnesses vary in intensity and do not mean you have no clear understanding of what is legal or illegal, or what is right from wrong. You will need to prove that at the time that the crime was committed you did not understand the intensity of your actions. This is not the easiest to prove in court, and is not always a successful defense. While you may even have a plethora of documentation to support your insanity defense, there is sometimes not enough evidence to prove that this illness is what led to your action.
It is left up to you and your defense team to prove you are insane. While it is up to the prosecution to prove you are guilty. But ultimately it is the jury’s says in these cases. There are some instances where a jury will found a defendant guilty and insane, this verdict is called “not guilty by reason of insanity”. There are several different outcomes in insanity cases, but if you are found guilty you are punished as such, despite your argument. And just because you succeed in your insanity plea, does not mean you win your freedom. Successful insanity defenses will lead you to a mental health facility. It is likely that you will receive the same amount of time that you may have received in prison, and sometimes even more. Considered your rehabilitation is more specific.
If you or someone you or someone you know would like to plead insanity in their criminal case, please speak with a skilled lawyer that will be able to analyze the details of your case and build the proper defense for you. They will conduct a thorough investigation for your case in order to have all the facts. They will represent you in all legal proceedings from negotiations to trials. Contact a lawyer as soon as possible rather than waiting. They will be able to help you better if they are part of your case quicker.