The Insanity Defense Part I Outline When is the insanity plea a reasonable and ethical tool? Thesis: Although some criminals abuse the insanity plea by invoking it to escape being punished for their crimes, the insanity plea should nevertheless still be allowed for those with a documented record of mental illness. I.<Tab/>Background information on the insanity plea [the M'Naughten case] II.<Tab/>Abusing the insanity …showed first 75 words of 924 total…

…showed last 75 words of 924 total…indicted defendants. More than 75% of the time that a psychiatric defense was successful, it was the result of the prosecutors' consent. Out of nearly 100,000 felony indictments during that period, only 17 juries heard arguments concerning the insanity defense and their deliberations resulted in only 4 insanity acquittals" {American Psychiatric Association. 9 Jan. 1996. American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. 20 Oct. 2004 <http://www.psych.org/public_info/insanity.html>.The insanity plea is therefore hardly