ipl-logo

Mr Hinckley Case Study

1164 Words5 Pages

“It was my fate that I shot the President and it is my fate that I pay the price for my deed” this was quote was famously stated by John Hinckley Junior, the would-be assassin of President Ronald Reagan (Taylor, 1982). On March 30, 1982, John Hinckley Junior fired six shots out of a handgun striking President Ronald Reagan, a police officer, and a secret service agent (Kiger, n.d.). Hinckley was subsequently arrested, and indicted on 13 counts for the crime. He was tried, and ultimately found not guilty by reason of insanity; sparking controversy within the United States regarding the validity of an insanity argument, with Reagan’s daughter Patti Davis stating, “the verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity was a bad verdict” (Jacewicz, 2016). …show more content…

Hinckley satisfies each criterion laid out by the rule. First, it must be recognized that Mr. Hinckley was medically diagnosed with schizophrenia, narcissistic personality disorder, and major depression. When one examines the symptoms of schizophrenia, he or she will observe that delusions are a recognized symptom of schizophrenia. When applying the knowledge of the symptoms of schizophrenia to Mr. Hinckley, it became evident that he was suffering extreme delusions, believing that he would unite himself with Ms. Foster. Dr. William Carpenter, an expert in schizophrenia, interviewed Hinckley for 45 hours before the trial and testified that Mr. Hinckley satisfied every medical requirement for the diagnosis of schizophrenia. Some of the symptoms that Dr. Carpenter identified to the jury were severe, “depression and withdrawal from social contacts, eccentric or bizarre thoughts, and delusions.” (Taylor, Shootings by Hinckley Laid to Schizophrenia, 1982). While testifying to the jury, Dr. Carpenter informed the jury that in his expert opinion, Mr. Hinckley “a substantial incapacity in his ability to conform his conduct to the requirements of the law” (Taylor, Shootings by Hinckley Laid to Schizophrenia, 1982). Consequently, in this statement, Dr. Carpenter articulated to the jury that Mr. Hinckley was suffering from a disease of the mind and did neither understand the implications of his actions nor recognize that his actions were wrong; fulfilling the legal requirements for the McNaughton

Show More
Related
1001 Words | 5 Pages

In the case of Commonwealth v. John E. DuPont (1996), the defendant John DuPont was convicted in February 1997 of guilty, but mentally ill, with a verdict of third-degree murder. DuPont and his defense team had tried repeatedly to persuade the jury that he was legally insane. The definition of legally insane includes that the defendant did not know the nature of the act he or she committed or did not know it to be wrong. After weeks of testimony the jury determined that DuPont was mentally ill, but was legally sane.

Read More
1794 Words | 8 Pages

Accordingly, I questioned Pondexter “so-called” innocence in this horrific criminal act because he knowingly entered Lennox’s home with three other men with a gun to rob, inflict fear and possibly cause harm. In my view, the crime was premeditated, including the murder. According to Pondexter’s attorney David Dow, since the first gunshot fired by James Lee Henderson pierced Lennox’s brain the defense claimed that this was the wound that resulted in her death.

Read More
1084 Words | 5 Pages

Prosecutor Bob Egan’s opening arguments were presented in such dramatic and convincing fashion the jury would never be able to look another direction other than Gacy being guilty. This eventually caused Gacy to change his defense to an insanity plea. During the process of this trial over 60 witnesses were called to the stand to testify against to Gacy, these witnesses were friends and family of the murder victims. On the defense side, all of Casey's friends and family were speaking highly of him and calling him a brilliant individual. When his psychologist Thomas Eliseo was called to the stand, he testified that Gacy suffered from borderline schizophrenia, multiple personality disorder and antisocial behavior.

Read More
1797 Words | 8 Pages

were looked at as being ruled insane, in fact Hinckley himself was ruled not guilty for reason of insanity. Chapman withdrew his insanity plea and received psychiatric help in prison, while Hinckley was institutionalized. Holden himself had a mental break down, he was slightly depressed, and thought very little of himself, “But I knew, too, I wouldn’t have the guts to do it. I knew that. That made me even more depressed.”

Read More
516 Words | 3 Pages

There are three tests that are used in criminal justice to decide if a defendant was suffering insanity at the time of a murder. Each test includes of many essentials to govern what an offender may have been going through or if he or she is suffering from mental illness. On the other hand, some offenders may have been suffering from an injury while another might be playing the role in an effort to be set free by a motive of pretending to be insane. It has been documented that some wrongdoers who commit crimes are blind-sided because of the lack of knowledge due to insanity. That does not mean that this person is not going to receive some type of repercussion for his or her actions, but there are a series of tests that must take place before a determination

Read More
597 Words | 3 Pages

Insanity defense of seen as being one of the most controversial of all criminal defense strategies. also, it is also one of the least uses criminal defense strategies. However, in 1984 when it was being used by John W Hinckley, Jr attempted the assassination of President Ronald Reagan, the insanity defense was used to provoke a public debate. The insanity defense purpose is used so criminal defendants should not be found guilty due to the defendant's insanity, but pleading as insanity refers to a specific dysfunction. A person who us insane lacks the intent requites to perform said a criminal act because the individual does not know that they act of crime they have committed is wrong or cannot control their actions even when they are aware that the act is wrong.

Read More
662 Words | 3 Pages

During Kemper’s trials, he tries to plead for insanity, with his Defense attorney, Jim Jackson, agreeing with him. The three psychiatrists who evaluated Kemper say differently, they all agree that while committing his crimes Kemper is fully aware of what he was doing. Kemper, Jackson, and the three psychiatrists ⎼ all agreed that if Kemper were to be released he would kill again (Honig)(SC 9). When asked how he should be punished Kemper asked for ‘death by torture’ except that in California the death penalty only became applicable on January 1, 1974 (“Edmund Emil Kemper

Read More
872 Words | 4 Pages

The killer plans out his strategy and closely watches the old man for the perfect time to follow thru with his killing. It is once the killing has taken place that we clearly see how the killer was paranoid of the old man as the paranoia continued with the killer thinking he could hear the old man’s heart beat which led him to confess to the killing. It is clear the killer knew right from wrong so cannot be deemed mentally insane; in fact the killer makes himself clear that he was not crazy at the time of the killing; simply paranoid which is a mental illness; but a mental illness that can be treated in today’s

Read More
1543 Words | 7 Pages

Should the insanity defence be reformed? Discuss referring to current law and evidence on how the defence is used in practice. This essay will analyse the defence of insanity by discussing the elements of M’Naghten rule: defect of reason, disease of the mind, and not knowing what defendant was doing or not knowing that it was ‘wrong’ at the time of offence, and the fit to trial test by reviewing relevant cases to demonstrate how the defence is applied in Criminal Law, and possible reform for the defence of insanity. The defence of insanity is for all crimes to those who are suffering from mental disorders and do not know what they are doing at the time of the offence or do not know that what they are doing is wrong.

Read More
1236 Words | 5 Pages

Mental illness has typically been a very taboo topic; just a piece of fiction in the minds of our ancestors. With this modern age of technological advancements comes mental health awareness in both our communities and in our courtrooms. Often times when the insanity claim is presented or brought up, what comes to mind is someone is crazy or they are just using the insanity claim for an easy out. This comes with its controversy and boils into the debate on if the insanity claim is justified or should even be used. The insanity claim is one of the only true laws that are present to defend those who just didn’t know any better but due to their own mental state.

Read More
995 Words | 4 Pages

Since many centuries, the liability of the insane for crime has always been one of the most controversial questions in the Criminal Law. In fact, it is very controversial because insanity itself is difficult to define, and the circumstances in which insanity can be used as exculpatory evidence are difficult to characterize. Insanity defense appeared before so many centuries, and according to California Law review, Crotty (1924) stated “The insane offender has been dealt with from the earliest times in English law. Probably the earliest authority is Theodoric, Archbishop of Canterbury (668-690 A.D.).”

Read More
913 Words | 4 Pages

In some cases, this defense is appropriate and legitimate. Other times, the plea may be used by a truly guilty party who is seeking out a lighter sentence than execution or life in prison with no parole. This tactic though, goes back farther than the recent Colorado theater shooting or even the attempted Reagan assassination. The earliest use of the insanity plea can be found in 1843 when a man named Daniel M’Naghten killed an

Read More
2718 Words | 11 Pages

Because of the lengthy process of determining if someone was insane at the time of the crime, this delays what sentence the accused will receive at the end of the proceeding. Even if they know there’s a chance, they won’t be found not guilty by reason of insanity, their sentence will be delayed while they determine whether they were of sound mind at the time so they can avoid, for example, going to prison for months or even years. So even though it is not a direct loophole, it can still be used to a defendant's advantage if they try and plead this defence as they must supply evidence whether they were of sound mind at the time or not (DJN Blogs, 2021). However, the very fact that it is such a lengthy process means it is rigorous, thorough and therefore the professionals involved go to extreme lengths to ensure the diagnostic is correct which means the defence is not a

Read More
1078 Words | 5 Pages

In Delgado v. State, the Supreme Court was concerned if the judge used the correct standards for the jury override and if in this case the death penalty was disproportionate. With overbearing evidence that Mr. Delgado was under the “influence of extreme mental or emotional disturbance,” it demonstrates the importance of educating courts on mental health concerns as many are unaware of the symptoms and consequences of them (Johnson and Kelly 276). A large percentage of prisoners among inmates have a mental illness. Although it is not within reason for them to be pardoned of their crimes, mental illnesses require consideration when deciding a sentence. Moreover, incompetency and confusion in the proceedings lead to unfair sentences.

Read More
634 Words | 3 Pages

“A man must be presumed sane and a sufficient degree of reason to be responsible for his crimes until the contrary is proved… to establish a defence of insanity it must be clearly proved that at the time of committing the act, the accused was labouring under a defect of reason from a disease of the mind as not to know the nature and quality of the act he was doing, and if he did know it, that he did not know what he was doing was wrong” A set of rules arose from the judgement of this case, and they are still relevant today. They are as follows. “(1) A partial delusion will be no defence if the defendant still knew that his actions were against the law. (2) Every person is presumed to be sane and therefore accountable for his actions, until the contrary is

Read More

More about Mr Hinckley Case Study

Related Topics

Open Document