lord kenyon was the first person found not guilty by reason of insanity.
lord kenyon was the first person found not guilty by reason of insanity.
who was the first person found not guilty by reason of insanity?
lord kenyon
both prosecution and defence based their cases on what constituted a legal defence of insanity. both sides agreed that m'naghten suffered from delusions of persecution. the prosecution argued that, in spite of his "partial insanity", he was a responsible agent, capable of distinguishing right from wrong, and conscious that he was committing a crime. witnesses, including his landlady and his anatomy lecturer, were produced to testify that he appeared generally sane. cockburn opened his defence by acknowledging that there were difficulties in the practical application of the principle of english law that held an insane person exempt from legal responsibility and legal punishment. he went on to say that m'naghten's delusions had led to a breakdown of moral sense and loss of self-control, which, according to medical experts, had left him in a state where he was no longer a "reasonable and responsible being". he quoted extensively from scottish jurist baron hume and american psychiatrist isaac ray. witnesses were produced from glasgow to give evidence about m'naghten's odd behaviour and complaints of persecution. the defence then called medical witnesses, including dr edward monro, sir alexander morison and dr forbes winslow, who testified that m'naghten's delusions had deprived him of "all restraint over his actions". when the prosecution declined to produce any medical witnesses to counter this evidence, the trial was halted. follet then made a brief, apologetic closing speech which he concluded with the words "i cannot press for a verdict against the prisoner". chief justice tindal, in his summing up, stressed that the medical evidence was all on one side and reminded the jury that if they found the prisoner not guilty on the ground of insanity, proper care would be taken of him. the jury, without retiring, duly returned a verdict of not guilty on the ground of insanity.
daniel m'naghten
smith was tried twice for murder, with his lawyers arguing that barbara smith's alleged infidelity had driven him insane. the first trial resulted in a hung jury. in the second trial, smith was found not guilty by reason of insanity and was committed for psychiatric treatment. within seven months, he was deemed no longer mentally ill by his psychiatrists and released. including his time in jail awaiting and during trial, smith's time in custody amounted to 21 months. in the aftermath of smith's case, the legislature in indiana changed the state's insanity laws. after the change, a person found to be insane at the time of the commission of a crime could still be found legally guilty, and thus could be sent to prison if and when he or she was released from psychiatric treatment.
lyman bostock