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Poly
January 31st, 2003, 03:32 PM
I'm listening to Bob's show "Jo Scott's not in jail" and I was thinking about the Mom who killed her sons supposedly by reason of insanity. And I have a question. Why is it that only murderers get off with the old "reason of insanity" excuse? Why not those who shoplift or get a speeding ticket. I bet a lot of mom's out there with a car load of kids who get pulled over for a traffic violation would love to pass it off as a reason of insanity.

"Honestly judge, with all of the screaming and fighting I was literally beside myself. I didn't even know my name at the time."
Goose
January 31st, 2003, 03:34 PM
Jo is in Jail?!?!?! Well shoot. So both Ken and Jo are in jail now?
Poly
January 31st, 2003, 03:37 PM
Probably due to that public edumakation but read it again goose!
ibowatjesusfeet
January 31st, 2003, 03:51 PM
Insanity, by law, means not capable of knowing the difference between wrong and right. What probably happened was that the defense team brought out a parade of psychologist who examined her and stated that, at the time, "she didn't know that stabbing her own kid was wrong." The thing about our justice system is that only 12 people need to be convinced, whereas 285 million don't. Just look at the OJ Simpson case.

My point is that insanity doesn't mean, by law, that you are insane when you take orders from a dog, or if you keep screaming "make the voices stop." All it means is that you did not have the capacity to understand what is right and what is wrong.
Goose
January 31st, 2003, 04:05 PM
Originally posted by Polycarpadvo
Probably due to that public edumakation but read it again goose! Oh....:o My eyesight in my left eye has been improving for some odd reason and uhm....I can't see threw my glasses that well and uhm....
Goose
January 31st, 2003, 04:07 PM
There have been times in my life where I was so enraged that I really didn't know what I was doing and my friends told me that I said stuff that I didn't know I said. I didn't believe them at first. I think the key is to deal with things before it gets to that point. Run from it if you have to, even if you might look like a fool. You'll look more foolish if you dont. And you'll probably regret it. Unless someone is harming a loved one. Don't run then. :)
Poly
January 31st, 2003, 05:35 PM
How about "We're only human"
anna
January 31st, 2003, 07:33 PM
How about "I didn't know that that was absolutely wrong"
ac
ibowatjesusfeet
January 31st, 2003, 07:45 PM
How about "You were serious about that?"
Goose
January 31st, 2003, 10:50 PM
How about Clinton's response:

How would you define "insanity" ?
calvinistkid
January 31st, 2003, 11:01 PM
or "but I was good most of the time!"
Goose
January 31st, 2003, 11:21 PM
LOL
ebenz47037
January 31st, 2003, 11:23 PM
Okay, guys. I'm going to get serious on you all here. I don't like to hear about the insanity defense. I think it's used way too much nowadays. Even Winona Ryder tried it with her shoplifting case recently.

I believe that anybody who commits murder is temporarily insane. Does that excuse him/her from their actions, though? No! If a person genuinely doesn't know that the act of murder is wrong, then they ought to be in a mental ward instead of prison or on death row. But, nowadays, who can honestly say that they don't know that murder is wrong? Even people with diminished mental capacity (meaning the mental level of an 8 to 10 year old) knows that murder is wrong.
Poly
February 1st, 2003, 12:29 AM
How 'bout.. The devil made me do it.
Or for that matter... God made me do it.
ApologeticJedi
February 1st, 2003, 12:43 AM
I think it was some comedian in that used to tell a joke about people who claimed temporary insanity. He commented on how no one ever went temporarily insane and then trimmed the hedges ... it's always that they murdered someone.
ebenz47037
February 1st, 2003, 12:59 AM
Originally posted by Polycarpadvo
How 'bout.. The devil made me do it.
Or for that matter... God made me do it.

But, does that person know that murder is wrong even if "the devil made him do it" or "God made him do it?"
Jefferson
February 4th, 2003, 12:52 PM
Originally posted by ebenz47037
But, does that person know that murder is wrong even if "the devil made him do it" or "God made him do it?"
To quote another comedian: If he's too crazy to know if it's right or wrong then put him in the electric chair and tell him it's a ride at Disney World. He won't know the difference.
Goose
February 4th, 2003, 01:01 PM
LOL
Poly
February 4th, 2003, 02:14 PM
Originally posted by Jefferson

To quote another comedian: If he's too crazy to know if it's right or wrong then put him in the electric chair and tell him it's a ride at Disney World. He won't know the difference.

That's pretty good. I think I agree.:thumb:
AsLan
February 4th, 2003, 03:15 PM
How does 'Ignorance of the law is no excuse.' fit in with temporary insanity?
Goose
February 4th, 2003, 03:50 PM
You should only be able to be ignorant of some arbitrary liberal law.
ddevonb
February 6th, 2003, 05:54 PM
Originally posted by Polycarpadvo
I bet a lot of mom's out there with a car load of kids who get pulled over for a traffic violation would love to pass it off as a reason of insanity.

"Honestly judge, with all of the screaming and fighting I was literally beside myself. I didn't even know my name at the time."

Actually this mom would seem to have a much better case than a murderer. It would be very easy to believe that she could speed or blow through a red light and be totally unaware of it. :)

Several years ago my house burned down destroying virtually everything I owned. In the following month I was stopped for speeding twice. I was in enough stress that I truly had no idea how fast I was going. I'm much better now! :)