From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!zeppo!wheps!ihnss!ihuxp!grg
Newsgroups: net.misc
Title: sanity, justice.
Article-I.D.: ihuxp.167
Posted: Fri Jun 25 09:26:49 1982
Received: Mon Jun 28 04:46:32 1982

This short note discusses logic, not legality, and not the lack of
correlation thereof.
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The recent note on "pleaded insanity" raises a question of the
relevancy of such a "defense".

Sanity means:    soundness of mind, soundness of judgement.

To plead insanity means "I made a bad judgement".  Isn't this already
determined by the un-lawfullness of the act?

The responsibility of an individual is to maintain sanity, and if not
take the consequences of the efects of his activities.  Anything else
permits and condones errors, and the creation of conditions that create
them.

Many things deplete sanity; tiredness, diet, drugs, food, emotion,
physiological damage, stress, ...  Many common actions are insane.  But
when they exceede the legal limit of insanity I do not see this as a
defense, merely a fact.  Determinations of proper treatment for
various causes of insanity is a different (although related) issue.

		Greg Guthrie
		Bell Labs
		Naperville, Ill (312)979-7303