The Illustrated Guide to Criminal Law
Chapter 11: Excuse Me!
Excuse pg 12: Insanity
So Provocation rarely works any more; and when it does, it’s not even a complete defense (again, it’s only available in murder cases, and only reduces the charge to manslaughter).
INSANITY, on the other hand, is a complete defe-
An angry woman interrupts, offended
OFFENDED WOMAN
Stop right there. That’s a very insensitive term. I prefer you say “having a psychiatric illness or emotional disability.”
No, “Insanity” is actually the right word to use. It’s not a medical term or one of the ever-changing PC euphemisms for mental disorder.
Average Joe talking head
AVERAGE JOE
This may sound crazy, but the term “insanity” is not a psychiatric diagnosis, but a legal conclusion. It’s determined not by doctors, but by jurors.