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Court cases involving insanity pleas

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Scenario:

You are part of a fact finding panel for your state court system. The court has a concern over the methods in which persons who are mentally ill violent offenders are handled. You are charged with selecting a modern court case (past 30 years) in which a sanity issue arose regarding a violent offender. The case may involve a Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity Plea, or it may involve a directive by the court for a sanity hearing. You may also select a case with a court consideration of idiot status was determined.

I need help preparing a briefing report on the methods that were used to assess the defendant by the court in the case selected. Discuss the outcome of the case and the mechanism that resulted in the defendant's evaluation for sanity.

Articulate the mental disorder(s) being considered by the court in the case that you selected, and why this disorder would make the defendant unfit for trial.
Explain the relationship between the actions and behavior that would cause the court to remand the defendant for a mental evaluation.
Evaluate the outcome of the case in terms of the defendant, the victim, and the community.
Critique the court's decision in the case. Do you support the court's correct decision or challenge the court's decision with your supported reasons.

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Solution Summary

This post serves to explore the situation that occurs when a defendant in a court case pleads not guilty by reason of insanity. This post specifically explores the court case of people v. Goldstein.

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I have chosen a potential option for a court case that you could use. I will use it in all of the examples in order to provide you with a detailed account of what you would need to do.

People v. Goldstein

In producing a briefing report you want to include segregated components that detail the information regarding the case. The initial component is to describe the court case. Provide the facts of the case; summarize the details of what occurred and what the case will entail.

Example: On January 3rd, 1999 Andrew Goldstein pushed Kendra Webdale off of a platform in a New York City subway. (you can extend further with the exact location of the incident). Goldstein was reported to have been acting erratic and alarming other passengers prior to the incident. (You would want to continue providing specific information on what happened; i.e. when he ...

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