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Criminal Law Commons

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University of Richmond Law Review

1982

American Law Institute

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Full-Text Articles in Criminal Law

The Insanity Defense In Virginia: An Evaluation, Steven D. Gravely Jan 1982

The Insanity Defense In Virginia: An Evaluation, Steven D. Gravely

University of Richmond Law Review

On March 30, 1981, John W. Hinckley, Jr. attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan, the thirty-ninth President of the United States. More than fifteen months after his arraignment Hinckley was found "not guilty by reason of insanity" to each of the thirteen counts with which he was charged. Hinckley's successful use of the insanity defense has rekindled a debate that has raged for centuries concerning the rationality and propriety of the insanity defense. The controversy stems not only from the fact that the insanity defense is seldom used except in grievous felonies, specifically homicide, or spectacular crimes such as Hinckley's, but …