Supreme Court Allows States To Virtually Eliminate The Insanity Defense
By a 6-to-3 vote, the court essentially allows consideration of mental status only at sentencing. Dissenters accuse the majority of abandoning centuries of Anglo-American law.
The U.S. Supreme court Monday that states are free to abandon the insanity defense for accused criminals who contend they did not know right from wrong. The decision upholds a Kansas law that essentially allows consideration of mental status
