Joe Smith suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. He has been under a doctor’s care for ten years, but often stops taking his medication because he thinks he’s cured. While off his medication, Joe steals a car to “escape from a CIA hit man,” accidentally running over and seriously injuring a pedestrian in the process. Joe is arrested and charged with several felonies. His public defender believes he is not guilty by reason of insanity.
-Which of the following is true regarding the use of the insanity defense in this case?

Question

Joe Smith suffers from paranoid schizophrenia.  He has been under a doctor’s care for ten years, but often stops taking his medication because he thinks he’s cured.  While off his medication, Joe steals a car to “escape from a CIA hit man,” accidentally running over and seriously injuring a pedestrian in the process.  Joe is arrested and charged with several felonies.  His public defender believes he is not guilty by reason of insanity.  
-Which of the following is true regarding the use of the insanity defense in this case?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The defense generally bears the burden of proving the defendant's insanity, which can be an expensive and difficult process. The prosecution only needs to prove the elements of the offense to secure a conviction. The other options are incorrect; increasing public awareness of mental illness hasn't necessarily led to more successful insanity defenses, and it's difficult to predict how much time Joe would spend in a mental facility or prison if acquitted.

Joe Smith Suffers from Paranoid Schizophrenia