| Show MOVE TO CHECK overplaying OF INSANITY PLEAS the american people have long been convinced that the insanity plea in criminal courts Is decidedly overworked it Is gratifying and not a little surprising therefore Uie says the st paul dispatch to learn that the psychiatrists whose science has contributed most to the furthering of f the insanity plea are now making an all attempt to close this loophole loop liole in the law at a I 1 recent annual meeting of oc the american pst psychiatric clil atric association in new york a committee report was read advocating radical reforms in legal and penal procedure in capital cases in which a plea of insanity had been entered by the defendant it was recommended that the judge shall eliminate all evidence of the mental condition of the defendant except such evidence as makos the mental disease so obvious a lay jury can understand it time and again juries have been mystified by the clinical subterfuges and technicalities of 0 insanity pleas in criminal trials on too many occasions the twelve good men arid and true have been overwhelmed by psychological tol fol derol and have permitted justice to be cheated to the ordinary run of citizens who make up jury panels there are mentally only two kinds of people the normal and the crazy the varl vari ous graces and degrees degree of mental and nervous disorders disorders which Is the psychiatrists field lie he comprehends not lot at all when an insanity plea Is entered the jury merely wants to know whether the accused Is or Is not responsible for his acts keeping such evidence in an understandable form will help the juries and put a limit on oil the abuse of insanity pleas |
