By Reason of Insanity

The Bible says that some people believed Jesus was mad? Why would they think this?

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I ask that you find my client not guilty. Yes, my client had motive. It's established that his fingerprints are all over the crime scene. And there's no doubt that he pulled the trigger. But that doesn't mean he should be convicted. Why not? Because my client is absolutely, positively, 100 percent certifiably insane. He is totally nuts. I rest my case."

We've all seen it used in some cheesy courtroom drama playing on basic cable. Many remember the acquittal of President Reagan's would-be-assassin, John Hinckley Jr. It's the insanity defense. The basic theory behind the defense is this: One who is insane lacks the "malice aforethought" or the intent required to perform a truly criminal act because the person is either incapable of discerning the difference between right and wrong, or incapable of restraint, even in the face of such knowledge.

Actually, although the insanity defense gets a lot of publicity, it is relatively rare as a legal strategy. Yet ...