A Case Study in the Insanity Defense: The Trial of John W. Hinckley, JR.

by Peter W. Low, Richard J. Bonnie, John C. Jeffries Jr.

This casebook first presents a background introduction and provides the history behind the insanity defense. Text features extensive coverage of the John W. Hinckley, Jr., trial. Reviews the reactions to the verdict, comments and questions from the trial, and insanity defense reform after the trial. Also includes coverage of Hinckley's hospitalization and treatment.

Genres: Nonfiction

157 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1900

Reviews

[Anna]

when required reading is the only way I’ll reach my 2021 goal #quirky

[Brandt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over the past few years there has been increased scrutiny on the use of the insanity defense. Some of the more notable cases are those of Chris Kyle's murderer, Eddie Ray Roth, and the Colorado theatre murderer James Holmes. Interestingly enough, it seems that perhaps these two cases would have been vastly different had it not been for the backlash to the results of the Hinckley trial. These two cases are used as a comparison only because of the notoriety and the amount of media coverage associated with them i.e., they are more in the public view than others. These may not be the best examples, but they do show the general pattern of insanity defense cases results that could have been vastly different had there not been backlash and subsequent changes to the insanity defense because of the Hinckley trial.
This book not only presents the key aspects of the jury's verdict in the Hinckley trial, but also, presents the way the insanity defense was organized according to the law prior to the Hinckley verdict, and the resultant changes made to both Federal and State law post verdict.
This book will give an overview of the paradoxes associated in dealing with the issues of mental health and crime, and does an excellent job of questioning the underlying philosophy that makes or breaks the legal ramifications.
As an example, how often is it in the lower courts i.e., township, county, state, that the insanity defense is used? How many people who actually commit crimes are, by legal definition, insane? However, the defense is used in less than 1% of all cases, and most assuredly considerably less, if ever, at these lower court levels.
Secondly, this book puts the weight of the philosophical questions to the reader to decide. It presents the important parts of the Hinckley trial i.e., how they pertain to the insanity defense, and then after reconstructing all the pertinent events, asks the reader to think about how the law could be different.
This is an excellent format for a book to address what seems to be an underappreciated problem in society viz., mentally ill people.
Although it does deal with one case specifically, the present determination of mental inadequacy for guilty verdicts has been traced to the results of this case. That is what makes this book so important to understanding mental illness within the framework of a legal definition.