Mental Health and the Law

Legal description of an individual who purportedly suffers from a mental illness, which is analogous (in this view) to suffering from a medical disease

Whether accused people are competent to stand trial and whether they were sane at the time the crimes were committed

Legal status of an individual who lacks a rational understanding of the charges against him or her, an understanding of the proceedings of his or her trial, or the ability to participate in his or her own defense

A legal term, reflecting the fundamental doctrine that people cannot be held fully responsible for their acts if they were so mentally incapacitated at the time of the acts that they could not conform to the rules of society 

Defense used by people accused of a crime in which they state that they cannot be held responsible for their illegal acts because they were mentally incapacitated at the time of the act

The individual is not held responsible for a crime if At the time of the crime, the individual was so affected by a disease of the mind that he or she did not know the nature of the act he or she was committing or did not know it was wrong

Idea of the M'Naghten Rule, stating the intention to commit the illegal act must be present in order to be held responsible for the act

The individual is not held responsible for a crime if at the time of the crime, the individual was driven by an irresistible impulse to perform the act or had a diminished capacity to resist performing the act. "twinkie defense"

The individual is not held responsible for a crime if the crime was a product of a mental disease or defect

Produced the third rule for defining insanity, the Durham rule

The individual is not held responsible for a crime if at the time of the crime, as a result of a mental disease or defect, the person lacked substantial capacity either to appreciate the criminality (wrongfulness) of the act or to conform his or her conduct to the law

In 1977, when it was ruled that "temporary insanity created by voluntary use of alcohol or drugs" also does not qualify a defendant for acquittal by reason of insanity

1984 law, affecting all federal courts and about half of the state courts, that finds a person not guilty by reason of insanity if it is shown that, as a result of mental disease or mental retardation, the accused was unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of his or her conduct at the time of the offense

The individual is not held responsible for a crime if at the time of the crime, as a result of mental disease or mental retardation, the person was unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of his or her conduct

Verdict that requires a convicted criminal to serve the full sentence designated for his or her crime, with the expectation that he or she will also receive treatment for mental illness