Political Humor | Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity

Thanks to Al-Reuters for the update on the psychotic child-killing mother, Andrea Yates.

Child killer Yates again pleads not guilty

Andrea Yates, the Texas woman who drowned her five children, pleaded not guilty to murder by reason of insanity on Monday in a case set to be retried after her 2002 convictions were overturned.

I’ve always hated the fact that there is a plea of “not guilty by reason of insanity. I believe that it should be guilty by reason of insanity, if there is going to be any distinction at all between criminally insane, and just criminal.

Yates’ lawyer, George Parnham, said he would seek bond so his client can be released to a state mental health facility from the downtown jail where she is to be housed during the trial, set for March 20.

“I want her placed in a mental health facility pending the outcome of the case,” Parnham told reporters.

Well, that would be where she belongs now isn’t it? At least it is acknowledged that this psycho has no business being in the community, as her lawyer said, “Andrea will never be able to take care of herself, in my opinion.”

See, one of the problems I have with a not guilty by reason of insanity plea, is that it is incumbent upon the offender to remain on medication. If not, the offender will resort back to the dangerous behavior that led to the crime in the first place.

This is a problem, because people with mental illness have a strong tendency to go off their medications, when they are not being monitored. I point to my own bipolar disorder as example #1. I don’t know why it is, but people with mental illnesses just don’t stay on their medication. It’s not hard to understand the dilemma that this poses with a psychotic individual. Fine on the Meds, killer and threat to the community off them.

In other words, a dangerous person is a dangerous person, regardless of whether that person can be made benign by medication or not. Once the medication is removed, the person becomes a threatening figure once again. And at some point, if left to his or her own devices, the offender will go off the meds. It’s just a matter of time.

Like I said, the plea should be guilty by reason of insanity, and the offender should be required to remain on medication, and it should be force fed if need be. If we’re going to distinguish between the dangerous criminals, and the dangerously insane, we still need to keep that part about being a danger to the community in mind.

You may now attempt to persuade me that I’m not always right.

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Linked on: Right Wing Nation, Third World County, Bloggin’ Outloud, Mudville Gazette