Simon and Aaronson's The Insanity Defense is a clear, readable assessment of this issue as it exists in the 1980s and one which provides the reader with a basis for understanding and evaluating the legislative and judicial responses to the factors that have stirred such controversy. Because the authors draw upon a huge literature, bring together diverse viewpoints from a variety of disciplines, and have written the volume in such an accessible style, the work will be ideal for undergraduate and graduate courses in judicial law and process, law and public policy, criminal justice and the sociology of law.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
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“The attempted assassination of President Reagan by John Hinckley Jr., on March 30, 1981, and the subsequent jury finding that -- owing to reasonable doubt as to his mental state -- Hinckley should not be held criminally responsible for his actions, led Congress to enact the Insanity Defense Reform Act of 1984. This statute represented the first substantive treatment of the insanity defense in the federal criminal code, and is the subject of this critical assessment. Simon and Aaronson approach the issues from a variety of perspectives. These include a review of history, a comparative analysis that examines the insanity defense in other countries, an empirical analysis that provides original data from a national survey of mental health and legal experts, and a discussion of how the defense has been treated in literature and the theater. The authors conclude that the insanity defense is infrequently used, that acquittals in contested proceedings where it is used are rare, that a typical defendant who pleads insanity is not a rapist or a murderer, and that the notion that the defense is a 'rich man's defense' is not supported by the data.”–Choice
“The Insanity Defense on Trial should prove to be a valuable tool for policymakers, a practical and useful work for criminal justice practitioners, students, and anyone who seeks to better understand the debate on controversial issues concerning the defense and important changes that have taken place on federal and state levels. What is particularly useful is that the authors provide a readable yet comprehensive overview of central issues and skillfully marshall and analyze relevant data and proposals from the legal, mental health, and social science communities. A variety of perspectives are used to provide a better understanding of the issues, ranging from a historical approach, providing original empirical data from a national survey they conducted of mental health and legal experts, a comparative approach that examines the insanity defense in other countries, and even an inviting discussion as to how the defense has been treated in literature and the theater.”–Judge Barrington D. Parker United States District Court for the District of Columbia
“The Insanity Defense on Trial should prove to be a valuable tool for policymakers, a practical and useful work for criminal justice practitioners, students, and anyone who seeks to better understand the debate on controversial issues concerning the defense and important changes that have taken place on federal and state levels. What is particularly useful is that the authors provide a readable yet comprehensive overview of central issues and skillfully marshall and analyze relevant data and proposals from the legal, mental health, and social science communities. A variety of perspectives are used to provide a better understanding of the issues, ranging from a historical approach, providing original empirical data from a national survey they conducted of mental health and legal experts, a comparative approach that examines the insanity defense in other countries, and even an inviting discussion as to how the defense has been treated in literature and the theater.”–
Book Description
The Insanity Defense should prove to be a valuable tool for policymakers, a practical and useful work for criminal justice practitioners, students, and anyone who seeks to better understand the debate on controversial issues concerning the defense and important changes that have taken place on federal and state levels.
Judge Barrington D. Parker, United States District Court for the District of Columbia
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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