Free Essays on Insanity Plea

When is a person is sane and who should be able to determine the sanity of the accused. The insanity plea is a defense that can be used when there is evidence that the defendant is guilty of a serious offense but not responsible because severe mental illness impaired their judgement and impulse control at the time of this offense. The insanity plea originated in the 1843 when Daniel McNaughtan attempted to assassinate British Prime Minister Robert Peel. Daniel McNaughtan killed Robert Peel’s secretary but was found not guilty by reason of insanity during the trial. Shortly after this trial the U.S.criminal justice system adopted the insanity plea, brought forth because of the McNaughtan decision. In 1981 the insanity defense plea was criticized harshly after John Hinckley Jr, attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity. From this case the rule that you must be insane at the time the crime was committed in order to plead insanity was brought about. Many believed his premeditation of the crime was proof of his sanity. (Dolan 13-33) An insanity plea is a poor excuse for serious crimes and should have no bearing on punishment. In most criminal cases, especially murder trials, the insanity plea is a defense strategy aimed at rescuing guilty defendants from the death penalty or serving life in prison. Many of the defendants who are found not guilty by reason of insanity are released from mental hospitals earlier than they would have been if had they served time in prison. The insanity defense ensures that criminals can avoid the punishment that fits their crime. Is this fair to the victims? Insanity defenses involve a thorough process of psychiatric evaluation to determine the mental health of the accused. Insanity pleas are not made that frequently and are usually not contested by prosecutors. (Mitchell 24-44) During the trial the defense attorney pleads that the defendant ... Free Essays on Insanity Plea Free Essays on Insanity Plea When is a person is sane and who should be able to determine the sanity of the accused. The insanity plea is a defense that can be used when there is evidence that the defendant is guilty of a serious offense but not responsible because severe mental illness impaired their judgement and impulse control at the time of this offense. The insanity plea originated in the 1843 when Daniel McNaughtan attempted to assassinate British Prime Minister Robert Peel. Daniel McNaughtan killed Robert Peel’s secretary but was found not guilty by reason of insanity during the trial. Shortly after this trial the U.S.criminal justice system adopted the insanity plea, brought forth because of the McNaughtan decision. In 1981 the insanity defense plea was criticized harshly after John Hinckley Jr, attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity. From this case the rule that you must be insane at the time the crime was committed in order to plead insanity was brought about. Many believed his premeditation of the crime was proof of his sanity. (Dolan 13-33) An insanity plea is a poor excuse for serious crimes and should have no bearing on punishment. In most criminal cases, especially murder trials, the insanity plea is a defense strategy aimed at rescuing guilty defendants from the death penalty or serving life in prison. Many of the defendants who are found not guilty by reason of insanity are released from mental hospitals earlier than they would have been if had they served time in prison. The insanity defense ensures that criminals can avoid the punishment that fits their crime. Is this fair to the victims? Insanity defenses involve a thorough process of psychiatric evaluation to determine the mental health of the accused. Insanity pleas are not made that frequently and are usually not contested by prosecutors. (Mitchell 24-44) During the trial the defense attorney pleads that the defendant ...

The Internal Conflict of Good vs Evil essays

The Internal Conflict of Good vs Evil essays Good day. My name is Matthew Henson. I was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1866. My life was going well until my parents died when I was twelve years old. I went to my parents funeral. Their caskets side by side. Being an only child made it hard. No one to lean on. So I became a sailor. The crew took me in as if I was a part of the family. By the time I was 21, I had traveled the world! It was extremely exciting. I have never seen so many different people and cultures ever. After I traveled the world, I worked in a small shop in Washington D.C. I decided to take a break from the world. While I was working in the shop, a man named Robert Peary came and asked me to go to the North Pole with him. He heard about me and how Ive traveled the world. He said he could use me as an assistant. I was excited about the idea and I asked my boss if I could go. At first he said he needed me at the shop, but I talked him into letting me go. So I shook hands with Robert and we were on our way. On April 9,1909 Robert and I set off on our expedition. It was cold in the Artic. There were even a couple blizzards. Sometimes I never thought I would make it, but we did. It was the most amazing thing placing the American flag on it. I thought I had just landed on the moon. I will never ever forget that day. Back in the U.S.A., I was forgotten for many years. That was until 1954 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower awarded to me a medal for being the first black man on the North Pole. The geography of the land helped me because I was able to use sled dogs and that way I was able to travel far distances and I would never get stuck in a ditch. The geography also helped me because it was challenging to get there and that is how I became famous. If it was easy I wouldnt be famous because no one would care. The advice I would give world leaders today is to do their jobs. Dont act like a fool by fool ...

Super size me ( the movie ) written aurgument Essay

Super size me ( the movie ) written aurgument - Essay Example And if he is asked to super size the meal, he has to say yes. Spurlock’s reason for his position is to prove that eating products which are modified such as refined carbohydrates and sugars, products that have preservatives and products which have high calories are harmful to our health and it would complicate our heart, liver, blood and other parts of our body. And most of these products are found in fast food restaurants. He uses this experiment as his means to support his reasons. During Spurlock’s first week of McDonald’s diet he gained 8.5 pounds, which is from 185.5 pounds (Spurlock’s weight before McDonald’s diet) to 194 pounds. During the first week Spurlock was consuming 5000 calories per day which is way above the amount of calories he needs per day which is only 2500 calories. During the second weigh in, Spurlock gained 9 pounds, which is from 194 pounds – 203 pounds. During his third weigh in he lost 1 pound, which is from 203 pou nds – 202 pounds. But his cholesterol levels went up from 165 – 225, his SGOT levels went from 21 – 130 and his SGPT levels went up from 20 - 290. The rapid growth of his cholesterol levels and liver enzymes levels (SGOT/SGPT) made the doctor advice Spurlock to stop his high fat diet before it gets worse. The people who would disagree with Spurlock are the people who are behind the fast food company. The fast food company claims that they are part of the obesity problem but they also claimed that people have the freedom to choose where and what to eat. Fast food restaurants don’t force people to eat their products, but billions are spent on advertising these products. It is on paper, radio, television and internet. Plus they have this must-have-toys and playgrounds which is very inviting to the kids. Spurlock responds to this by letting people have more healthy options. Spurlock visited numerous