Insanity Is A Legal Status Indicating That

Question: Actus reus

Answer: -”Guilty criminal act” (Physical Act)

Question: Affirmative defense

Answer: an aspect of a case in which a defendant bears the burden of proof in a trial, such as for providing insanity.

Question: ALI standard

Answer: a definition of insanity proposed by the American Law Institute (ALI), which states, “A person is not responsible for criminal conduct if at the time of such conduct, as a result of mental disease or defect, he lacks substantial capacity either to conform his conduct to the requirements of the law.”

Question: Burden of proof

Answer: in a court of law, the duty of one party to prove affirmatively the facts of its side.

Question: Clear and convincing evidence standard

Answer: a standard of proof between the less demanding standard of “preponderance of evidence” (used in most civil cases) and the more demanding standard of “beyond a reasonable doubt” (used in criminal cases). It requires that the truth of issue be highly probable and is used only in a minority of civil case.

Question: Clinical psychologist

Answer: A psychologist who diagnoses and treats people with emotional disturbances.

Question: Cognitive test

Answer: An insanity test based on a person’s ability to distinguish right from wrong in committing acts.

Question: Deterrence

Answer: A goal of criminal sentencing that seeks to inhibit criminal behavior through the fear of punishment.

Question: Diminished capacity

Answer: impaired mental functions that prevent the afflicted person from having the required mens rea, or mental state, for certain crimes

Question: Durham standard

Answer: an insanity standard under which the defendant is not held criminally liable if the crime was caused by a mental illness.