Not guilty! - Page 6

JKatherine · 07-29-2006, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bennis_mama

I really don't like the defense for insainity. However, it's a really difficult thing to pull off in the courts, anymore because it is used so much. So, good for her. I don't think one should be labeled "not guilty" simply because they are unstable. Nonetheless, she was and people are. The thing that is odd to me, is that she had 5 children and her husband never noticed her instability? To claim insainity is not a temporary action - now if she had claimed she "snapped" it would be more believeable to me. She knew this act was wrong, obviously afterwards. She felt remorse, does that mean she was or was not insane? I don't know. Maybe she'd be a sociopath and in prision then.

When people generally use that defense - it is someone who has a past history of mental illness (Which perhaps she had). It bothers me that she killed 5 children and will be in a mental institution with the POSSIBILITY of getting out. While she will be continually evaluated, if she failed to meet the states definition in the first place, what will keep her in the institution for long enough?

What is long enough in this case? It's not that I think that she's NOT insane because I don't have enough background on the trial. However, I'm one for rehabilitation and if she stays in the mental instituion long enough - maybe it's the best thing. To me, though, it seems that if she felt a distinction between right and wrong in the crime than it isn't much of a question if she should be punished for the action which she knew was wrong. JMO

ITA. She should be considered GUILTY by reason of Insanity, not, NOT GUILTY. And while I feel for her in her mentally incapacitated state, I do believe she should be locked up FOREVER--whether that be jail or a mental institution.

jnhjlh · 07-29-2006, 04:39 PM

I don't feel sorry for anyone except the kids in the case! NOT GUILTY do you know what that means that she didn't do it! Now I'm not saying she is not insane or she shouldn't have pleaded insane but this means she could get out in a few years, she could look better on the outside but on the inside she will never be ok. In a few years she could have more children and do the same thing all over again! and we call this justice?

hindsight2020 · 07-29-2006, 05:24 PM

I too would like to see the insanity defense modified a bit-- Yes, she was insane, but she's still guilty! I think any insanity argument is moot until it comes to the actual talk of incarceration or institutionalization, not when it comes to guilty/not guilty verdict.

And Rusty Yates should have been charged with gross negligence as well.

vtmom · 07-29-2006, 05:47 PM

I , too, saw the Primetime interview with her the other night. I did not read the book, and don't have a whole lot of histroy about her other than what you all have written. I agree that she should be getting the help she needs and was obviously denied over the years, as well as serve time in prison once she is deemed sane, for the crimes she committed. I also believe that the husband should be partly to blame for his role (or lack thereof) in this tragedy.
I am torn about how I feel about the whole mental illness thing, though, after seeing her interview. I do think she was acting on the demons' voices she was hearing, telling her to sacrifice and save her children. However, by her placing them in the bed, hiding them from the next victim, I think she knew what she was doing was wrong....I also heard that she told one of her cellmates how to fake insanity.
She is definietly a sick woman, how ever we define the term. A lot of you are in favor of castrating the husband for getting her pregnant. What about (and maybe this has already been done???) part of her rehab/punishment being that she have her tubes tied. No matter how well she or her doctors think she is, she would no longer be able to concieve, and potentially kill, children again. JMHO

southern_belle_mommie · 07-31-2006, 02:50 PM

I believe that the dh and the docs should have taken some heat of their own. Especially her dh. It is horrific and I too belive she should have been "GUILTY by reasons of insanity" rather than not guilty. That way she would have been in that mental hospital with NO chance of getting out. IMO