Insanity Defense and Mental Illness Essay examples

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What is the difference between mental illness and insanity? (Hint: What is the important second prong of the McNaughten rule?)
The difference between mental illness and insanity is the knowledge of right and wrong.
The McNaughten rule cannot be used to defend the actions of a person who drinks alcohol and then murders someone. Why not?
This rule cannot be used to defend the actions of a person who drinks too much then murders someone because that person made the choice to get that drunk. Someone who is mentally ill does not make the choice to be that way.
Identify each of the following:
Rational and guilty- That means the person knows the difference between right and wrong when they did the crime.
Guilty but insane- This is when someone is claiming to be insane at the time of the crime of the crime and is found guilty. Because this person has proven insanity there charge may consist of being committed to a psychiatric facility instead of prison.
Not guilty by reason of insanity- This is when someone is proven to be insane at the time in which they committed a crime and is therefore found not guilty. At the time of the crime they had no control over their actions.

If you were deciding this case, how would you rule? Briefly explain your decision.
If I were deciding this case I would rule not guilty by reason of insanity. I would rule this way because it was made clear to me that Clark was not in control of his actions at the time of the crime. Because of the timeline

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