Law 3101A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Mental Disorder, Criminal Record, Electroconvulsive Therapy
Document Summary
1 the criminal justice system and mental health. 15 and 16-yo robbed house and bludgeoned and stabbed to death the 83-yo occupant. Case transferred to adult court jury rejected defense of insanity convicted them of first-degree murder. Defense introduced evidence that boys suffered from a form of paranoid psychosis. Believed that they had the ability to rule the world. Killing was necessary for this to occur. Boys knew they were violating the law believed it was irrelevant had the right to kill the victim because he was a loser . Accused appealed conviction on the basis that the judge had erred in defining the defense misdirected the jury. Judge stated knowing that the act was wrong was limited to circumstances in which an accused did not know the act was criminal or illegal. Accused argued that the defense was available to those, by reason of mental disorder, could not understand that the act was morally wrong as well.
