Question 1

Which is true of Guilty But Mentally Ill GBMI) alternatives?

Accepted Answer

The availability of the GBMI verdict option can influence jurors to choose it over other verdicts, such as guilty or NGRI (Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity), as it provides a middle ground acknowledging mental illness while still holding the defendant accountable.

Question 2

Which insanity standard is generally considered to be the most conservative in its original form?

Accepted Answer

The M'Naghten standard is generally considered to be the most conservative of the insanity standards because it requires that the defendant not only have a mental illness at the time of the offense, but also that they did not know the nature and quality of their actions or that what they were doing was wrong. This standard places a high burden of proof on the defense to demonstrate that the defendant lacked the requisite knowledge and understanding of their actions.

Question 3

Which insanity standard has also been referred to as the product rule?

Accepted Answer

The Durham rule, also known as the product rule, states that an accused is not criminally responsible if his unlawful act was the product of mental disease or mental defect.

Question 4

Insanity is a _________________.

Accepted Answer

Insanity is primarily a legal term used to denote a defendant's inability to understand the wrongfulness of their actions due to a mental disorder at the time of a criminal act. It is not a medical or psychiatric diagnosis.

Question 5

_________________ was a case that confronted the Supreme Court with denying or imposing a constitutional right to the insanity defense, which it failed to address directly.

Accepted Answer

Clark v. Arizona was the case that directly confronted the Supreme Court with issues surrounding the insanity defense, particularly focusing on the constitutionality and application of such a defense, rather than denying or imposing a constitutional right to it outright.

Question 6

Which of the following is true of the prior history of individuals facing insanity?

Accepted Answer

Individuals facing insanity are more likely to have a prior history of multiple arrests and multiple hospitalizations due to the nature of their mental illness and the potential consequences of their actions while experiencing symptoms.

Question 7

Which of the following does not influence mock juror's verdicts in insanity cases?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following does not influence...

Question 8

Which of the following statements is not true about the insanity defense?

Accepted Answer

In order for the insanity defense to be raised, the defendant must be accused of a crime. The defense is used to argue that the defendant should not be held legally responsible for the crime due to their mental illness at the time of the offense. Therefore, statement C is not true.

Question 9

Which of the following is the earliest formalized standard of insanity?

Accepted Answer

The Wild Beast Test, established in the 13th century, is considered the earliest formalized standard of insanity, predating the M'Naghten Rule and other standards.

Question 10

The standard of proof in federal insanity cases is _______________.

Accepted Answer

The standard of proof in federal insanity cases is "clear and convincing evidence." This standard is higher than the "preponderance of the evidence" standard used in most civil cases but lower than the "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard used in criminal cases.

Question 11

Which of the following is not true regarding the differences between automatism and insanity?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is not true...

Question 12

Which standard for insanity has both a cognitive and volitional element?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which standard for insanity has both a...

Question 13

Which diagnosis is the most frequent among individuals who plead insanity?

Accepted Answer

The most frequent diagnosis among individuals who plead insanity is schizophrenia. This may be because schizophrenia can include symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations that may lead the individual to believe they are not responsible for their actions. However, it is important to note that the insanity plea is rarely used in criminal trials and is not often successful.

Question 14

What approximate percentage of felony cases involves a plea of insanity?

Accepted Answer

Only a very small percentage of felony cases involve a plea of insanity, with most defendants opting for other defenses.

Question 15

Which is the most frequently charged crime in individuals acquitted of insanity?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which is the most frequently charged crime...

Question 16

Another name that is commonly used for insanity is ___________.

Accepted Answer

"Mental state at the time of the offense" is a term that can be used to refer to what is commonly known as insanity in legal contexts, focusing on the defendant's mental condition during the commission of the crime.

Question 17

All of the following are reasons insanity evaluations are difficult except that ________________.

Accepted Answer

The difficulty of insanity evaluations is not because there is less reliance on third party information, as typically evaluations will include interviews with collateral sources such as family members and medical records. The other options - that evaluations are retrospective, the legal criteria for insanity is often unclear, and there are no universally accepted interviews or tests for insanity - are all cited as reasons why insanity evaluations pose challenges for clinicians.

Question 18

Which insanity standard has included an irresistible impulse test at times?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which insanity standard has included an irresistible...

Question 19

All of the following are true of the Insanity Defense Reform Act except:

Accepted Answer

The Insanity Defense Reform Act of 1984 did indeed bar ultimate issue testimony (A), placed the burden of proof on the defendant to prove insanity at the time of the crime (B), and removed the volitional prong from the American Law Institute's (ALI) Model Penal Code standard, which had allowed for a broader definition of insanity (C). However, it did not specifically increase the length of time necessary for treatment if acquitted by reason of insanity (NGRI); the length of commitment is determined based on the individual's mental health status and risk to public safety, not a fixed period set by the Act itself (D).

Question 20

Which of the following is true of the ALI rule?

Accepted Answer

The ALI rule was developed by the American Law Institute and is often seen as a compromise between the strict liability rule and the negligence rule. It is one of the major three product liability standards, alongside the strict liability and negligence standards.

Quiz 9: Insanity, Criminal Responsibility, and Diminished Capacity