http://houstonist.com/2006/08/01/yates_juror_cal.php All comments for Yates juror calls for 'guilty but insane' verdict en-us 2009 Brittanie Shey Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:00:00 -0600 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss brittanie@houstonist.com brittanie@houstonist.com 60 http://houstonist.com/2006/08/01/yates_juror_cal.php#comment-282839 http://houstonist.com/2006/08/01/yates_juror_cal.php#comment-282839 Comments Tue, 01 Aug 2006 10:20:53 -0600 <p>From this non-lawyer's perspective, to say that a guilty but insane verdict is contravened by criminal law because insanity excuses criminal liability begs the question. The whole point of "guilty but insane" is to deny insanity as an excuse for criminality, but to acknowledge that prisons are not the place to put insane people. In other words, guilty but insane legislation is meant to correct (from the propenents' point of view) a defect in legislative and case law, so pointing out that it flies in the face of same isn't a proper argument against it. The only proper challenge to a guilty but insane law would be along constitutional lines. </p>