PSYC 372; exam 3

Insanity (Legal Definition)

A legal concept referring to a defendant's mental state at the time of the crime; determines if they could understand right from wrong or control their actions.

Andrea Yates Case

Texas mother who drowned her five children in 2001 due to postpartum psychosis; initially convicted, later found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI).

Mens Rea

"Guilty mind" - the intent or mental state behind a criminal act.

Actus Rea

"Guilty act" - the physical act of committing the crime.

Irresistible Impulse Test

A defendant may be found insane if unable to control their actions, even if they know the act is wrong; criticized for vagueness.

M'Naghten Rule

Defendant is legally insane if, due to mental illness, they did not understand the nature of the act or that it was wrong.

American Law Institute (ALI) Rule

Person not responsible if, due to mental disease, they lack substantial capacity to appreciate criminality or conform conduct to the law.

Frequency and Success of Insanity Defense

Used in less than 1% of cases; succeeds in about 25%, mostly involving defendants with severe mental illness.

Insanity Defense Reform Act (1984)

Enacted after John Hinckley Jr.; removed irresistible impulse clause, shifted burden of proof to defense, and narrowed insanity definition.

Guilty But Mentally Ill (GBMI)

Defendant found guilty but mentally ill; serves prison sentence with possible mental health treatment.

Diminished Capacity (Dan White Case)

Defense claiming reduced intent due to mental impairment; Dan White's "Twinkie defense" led to voluntary manslaughter instead of murder.

Successful Insanity Pleas

Involve severe documented mental illness, strong expert testimony, and a clear link between illness and offense.

Forensic Evaluation Tools

DIASS: Newer, more structured and reliable tool. R-CRAS: Older, widely used but more subjective.

Kenneth Bianchi Case

Tried to fake dissociative identity disorder to claim insanity; exposed as malingering.

Jeffrey Dahmer Case

Defense argued insanity due to gruesome acts, but jury found him legally sane.

Ibn-Tamas v. United States (1979)

Early case allowing expert testimony on Battered Woman Syndrome (BWS) to explain perceived threat in domestic violence cases.

Battered Woman Syndrome (BWS)

A subset of PTSD explaining patterns in abused women; scientifically debated for lack of clear criteria.

BWS as Self-Defense or Mitigation

Used to explain why an IPV victim felt deadly force was necessary or to reduce charges by showing diminished perception of threat.

Standard Self-Defense in IPV Cases

Traditional laws require imminent danger, making it hard for abused women who act preemptively to claim self-defense.

Stand-Your-Ground & Marissa Alexander

Alexander fired a warning shot at her abuser and was sentenced to 20 years; case revealed racial and gender bias in applying self-defense laws.

Social Agency Framework (SAF)

Alternative to BWS focusing on survivors' social context and agency, not pathology.

Reasons Sexual Assault Is Underreported

Fear of disbelief, shame, stigma, and retraumatization discourage victims from reporting assaults.

Gender Credibility Gap

Male victims are least likely to be believed due to gender stereotypes and societal assumptions about masculinity.

Rape Trauma Syndrome (RTS)

Describes emotional aftermath of sexual assault; includes acute and reorganization phases, but criticized for vagueness.

Tonic Immobility

A "freeze" response during assault where victims cannot move or resist; counters myths that lack of resistance equals consent.

Counterintuitive Victim Behavior (CIVB)

Expert testimony explaining behaviors that seem inconsistent with victimization (e.g., staying with abuser, delayed reporting).

PTSD and Sexual Assault

Many survivors develop PTSD; symptoms explain delayed reporting, avoidance, and memory gaps.

George Zimmerman Case (2012)

Zimmerman killed unarmed teen Trayvon Martin; acquitted under "Stand Your Ground" law. Case influenced by jury composition, public opinion, and gun culture.

Juror B29

Zimmerman juror who said she believed he was guilty morally but not legally—showing conflict between law and conscience.

Story Model of Decision-Making

Jurors build coherent narratives from evidence to reach verdicts.

Mathematical Model of Decision-Making

Jurors weigh evidence numerically, updating probabilities; less realistic than story model.

Liberation Hypothesis

When evidence is weak, jurors rely more on personal biases or moral beliefs.

Defendant Characteristics and Verdicts

Race, attractiveness, and class influence outcomes; attractive or high-status defendants often treated more leniently.

McDonald's Coffee Case (Liebeck v. McDonald's)

Elderly woman severely burned by hot coffee; jury found McDonald's 80% liable. Media misrepresented case, fueling tort reform debates.

Jurors and Inadmissible Evidence

Jurors struggle to disregard excluded evidence; "reactance" can make them focus on it more.

Leniency Bias

Juries are generally more lenient than judges, especially when evidence is uncertain.

Stages of Jury Deliberation

1.Orientation 2.Open conflict 3.Reconciliation

Informational vs. Normative Influence

Informational: persuaded by logic or evidence. Normative: conform to group to avoid conflict.

Dynamite (Allen) Charge

Judge urges deadlocked jury to keep deliberating; may pressure dissenting jurors.

Jury Size and Decision Rules (Saks & Marti

1997), Larger juries (12) are more diverse and deliberate longer. Smaller juries (6) are faster but less representative. Unanimous decisions promote deeper discussion.

Jury Nullification

Jurors acquit despite evidence because they believe the law is unjust; legal but controversial.

Jury Reforms

Include note-taking, simpler instructions, and juror questions to improve comprehension and fairness.