From: utzoo!watmath!pcmcgeer
Newsgroups: net.misc
Title: Re: Replying about Hinkley Re: utzoo!Laura among others.
Article-I.D.: watmath.3011
Posted: Tue Jul 13 15:51:09 1982
Received: Tue Jul 13 19:13:48 1982
References: rabbit.601

	There is an old legal expression: *sixtifor*.  The sixtifor is
defined to be the key question in a case - the one whose answer determines
the outcome of the case, or the issue.
	I suspect that rabbit!jj (rabbit.601) has asked the sixtifor.
	Clearly if the purpose of the law is to punish, then insanity is
a valid defense - for who among us would punish a man simply because he is
ill?  On the other hand, if the purpose of the law is the protection of
society, then the insanity defense is no defense at all.  For sane or not,
ill-intentioned or simply mad, the offender is the same threat to society:
society is therefore concerned only with whether or ot he committed the act
with which he is charged.
						Rick.