The Illustrated Guide to Criminal Law
Chapter 11: Excuse Me!
Excuse pg 19: Diminished Capacity as a Valid Defense
Brian being held down and forced to drink a tall glass of booze like Cary Grant’s character in North by Northwest
Maybe if someone held him down and forced a whole bottle of bourbon down his throat, against his will, but such things don’t happen in real life.
Alfred Hitchcock’s silhouette: “First my Maguffin, now this? Is this homage or theft?”
Average Joe responds: “That’s a different course.”
Similarly, what if Doug had thought that Tina was a dragon, not because of a schizophrenic delusion, but because he was high on hallucinogens?
If he took the drugs on purpose, then that intent is going to be transferred to what he did to Tina. He’s guilty of Murder.
Doug freaking out and seeing dragons, spots, and mushrooms everywhere.
But if his doctor had given them to him by mistake? Then yeah, he might have a valid Diminished Capacity defense.