Mr. Bentley has been diagnosed with intellectual disability. His defense team is using the fact that Mr. Bentley does not understand right from wrong to argue that he qualifies for being found not guilty by reason of insanity. Which test is being applied here?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The M'Naghten rule is being applied here. This test states that an individual cannot be held criminally responsible if, at the time of the offense, he was suffering from a defect of reason, caused by a disease or disorder of the mind, that prevented him from understanding the nature and quality of his actions or from distinguishing right from wrong. Therefore, if Mr. Bentley's defense team can prove that his intellectual disability prevented him from understanding right from wrong, he may be found not guilty by reason of insanity based on the M'Naghten rule. The other tests (Durham test, ALI standard, "wild beast" test) are not relevant to this scenario.

Mr Bentley Has Been Diagnosed with Intellectual Disability