Andrea Yates State Of Being Mentally Insane

2575 Words6 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Mental health identification and assessment essay

Insanity seems to be the question in the courtroom today. What defines if a person is mentally stable or if he is sick? The government and court system has been trying to find the definite line, but there are still varying beliefs for and against whether people should be allowed to plead insanity. The definition of insanity is, “the state of being mentally ill; madness” (Oxford Dictionary). The definition of mentally ill is “psychiatric disorder that results in a disruption in a person’s thinking, feeling, moods, and ability to relate to others” (worldiQ.com). That being said, ponder these two situations. Andrea Yates, a nurse and mother, drowned her five children--Noah, 7; John, 5; Paul, 3; Luke, 2; and Mary, 6 months--one at a time in their family bathtub on June 20, 2001. In 2002, she was sentenced to life in prison, but due to testimony from a prosecution medical expert, she was granted a new trial by a court of appeals. After twelve men and women debated the case for 13 hours over three days, they said Yates did not know her actions were wrong when she drowned her children ("Andrea Yates Case”). In order to prove to the jurors that Yates was mentally ill, testimonies that demonstrated her illness, depression, hospitalization records, and suicide attempts …show more content…

However, I do feel we should continue research to find cures/treatments for the mentally impaired. Research has already made advancements by finding different hormones that are associated with different disorders (serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, etc.), different types of therapies (cognitive behavioral, exposure, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), and medicines (antidepressants) to help stabilize the effects of disorders. The advancements could stop crimes from happening and save

Show More
Related

  • Analysis of the Case of Andrea Yates

    875 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Andrea Yates murder trial was one of the most highly publicized cases of 2001. Perplexing and complicated, it appealed to the public audience for various reasons. A mother methodically, drowns her five children in the family bathtub after her husband leaves for work. Was this an act of a cold calculating killer, or was this the act of a woman who lost touch with reality. Is this a case of medical neglect, and psychological dysfunctions, or is this a battle of ethics and deviant behavior exploiting medical and legal loop holes?

    Read More

  • The Insanity Defense: Andrea Yates's Insanity Defense

    1770 Words  | 4 Pages

    When you use the insanity defense, you're pleading that you are not guilty by reason of insanity or guilty by reason of insanity, or some variation along those lines, depending on the state in which you're charged. If you can prove you were legally insane at the time you committed the crime for which you're on trial, you can expect to be sentenced to psychiatric treatment rather than convicted and imprisoned.

    Read More

  • Competency To Stand Trial Essay

    1703 Words  | 4 Pages

    Insanity (legal sense): A person can be declared insane if they are conscious while committing the crime, committing the criminal act voluntarily, and had no intent to inflict harm. A person declared insane lacks rational intent due to a deficit or disorder, which inhibits their rational thinking

    Read More

  • Postpartum Depression and Crime: The Case of Andrea Yates

    686 Words  | 2 Pages

    On July 27, 2006, the New York Times published an article on the findings of the retrial of Andrea Yates and her not guilty due to insanity over the drowning deaths of her five children. (Woman Not Guilty, 2006). The court decided to commit her to a state mental hospital until medical experts decide she is not a threat to herself or anyone else. In 2002, an earlier jury rejected her claims she was psychotic and found her guilty. Yates alleged by murdering her children she actually saved them. (Woman Not Guilty, 2006). The appeals court overturned the decision because of “erroneous testimony from a prosecution witness.” (Woman Not Guilty, 2006). Yate’s lead lawyer, George Parnham, remarked that the verdict was a “watershed for mental illness and the criminal justice system.”(Woman Not Guilty, 2006). Yate’s first conviction promoted debate over whether Texas’ legal standard for mental illness was overly severe and whether the courts viewed postpartum depression with a serious viewpoint. Yate’s lawyer stated she suffered from severe postpartum psychosis and in a delusional mindset when she committed the murders. Yates drowned her children believing Satan lived inside her and believed murdering children saved them from hell. (Woman Not Guilty, 2006).

    Read More

  • Reframing Insanity: Beyond Mental Illness

    861 Words  | 2 Pages

    How is that even possible? The dictionary definition of the word insanity is the state of being seriously, mentally ill (“Definition of the Word Insanity”). Insanity is also classified as a medical diagnosis. Insanity came from the Latin word insanitatem (“History of the Word Insanity”). People started using this word in the 1580’s. The Latins interpreted insanity as unhealthy Modern day society uses the word insanity too loosely. Although the dictionary definition of insanity is not wrong, several cases that prove having “insanity” does not always mean “being seriously mentally ill” has came to surface.

    Read More

  • Insanity In The Fall Of The House Of Usher

    922 Words  | 2 Pages

    Insanity: used to describe someone who is “ seriously mentally ill”. “The fall of the house of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe and “ A rose for emily” by William Faulkner both use the theme of insanity in their stories. They both create a dark and mysterious setting to create an atmosphere of horror. In “ A rose for Emily”, Faulkner’s main character is Emily Grierson who shuts society out and is so lonely that she kills her lover to maintain the love of her life by her side forever. On the other hand, “The fall of the of Usher” is about twins who are lovers: Roderick and Madelline Usher. Roderick suffers from depression, fear, and “ a morbid acuteness of the sense..” (page 9, Poe). Madelline also suffers from an unusual disease, so when she passes

    Read More

  • The Insanity Defense

    1267 Words  | 3 Pages

    What is "insanity" and why is this subject of much controversy? Although I do not have a clear definition of insanity, most socially recognized authorities such as psychiatrists, medical doctors, and lawyers agree that it is a brain disease. However, in assuming it is a brain disease, should we link insanity with other brain diseases like strokes and Parkinsonism? Unlike the latter two, whose causes can be medically accounted for through a behavioral deficit such as paralysis, and weakness, how can one explain the behavior of crimes done by people like Hinckley? (2)

    Read More

  • The Insanity Defense

    2529 Words  | 6 Pages

    When someone commits a crime, he or she may use mental illness as a defense. This is called an insanity plea or insanity defense. What the insanity defense does is try to give the alleged perpetrator a fair trial. At least in extreme cases, society agrees with this principle. The problem is where do we draw the line. Under what circumstances is a person considered insane, and when are they not? The trouble with the insanity defense in recent years is the assumption that virtually all criminals have some sort of mental problem. One important point is that the crime itself, no matter how appalling, does not demonstrate insanity. Today, the insanity defense has become a major issue within the legal system. If the defendant is clearly out of touch with reality, the police and district attorney ordinarily agree to bypass the trial and let the defendant enter a mental hospital.

    Read More

  • The Law and Insanity Defense

    2120 Words  | 5 Pages

    According to (Hill, & Hill, 1998), the legal definition of insanity as it pertains to the law is;

    Read More

  • The Insanity Defense

    1139 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...nse altogether. The insanity defense is used in only about 1% of cases in the U.S. and is successful less than 25% of the time. Today many people say they are insane to get out of their punishment of the crime they committed. But this rarely works. Many people abuse the insanity plea thinking that it will give them a sweeter sentencing. Many people in the public once defendant says they are insane after committing for example a murder the public gets very angry. The reason they do this is because in the public’s eyes murder is murder. The only time the public would probably sympathize with a defendant is when they are unable to stand trial because of their psychological issues. The public usually doesn’t agree with the insanity defense and it usually makes them outraged or feels like the right justice has been served to the defendant. (Collins, Hinkebein, & Schorgl)

    Read More

  • One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Insanity Essay

    487 Words  | 1 Pages

    Insane. What comes to mind when someone is thought to be insane? Many may think that an insane person is anyone who is in a mental hospital. This is not always true though, as being “insane” is defined as, “being in a state of mind that prevents normal perception, behavior, or social interaction, seriously mentally ill”(Define Google). In the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, the theme of insane is shown throughout the book, while at the same time, it points out that not all are insane.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay: The Insanity Defense

    408 Words  | 1 Pages

    The insanity defense is typically sought in murder trials. Though the insanity defense is rarely used, it remains controversial. However, the debate is clouded by the public’s misconceptions. Many believe the defendant will walk away free. Also, it is believed that the insanity defense is abused. It is important to keep in mind that a lot of events leading up to the murder are not publically known. Therefore, it is wrong to assume that the defense is being contrived. Often times, help is sought out before a heinous crime is committed. It is important to realize that many mentally ill people do not recognize there is a problem. For example, the narrator in Edgar Allan Poe’s, The Tale Tell Heart states, “Now this is the point. You fancy

    Read More

  • Assess The Difference Between Insanity And Mental Illness

    372 Words  | 1 Pages

    The two concepts play significantly different roles in court. Competency determines whether a defendant will be able to appear at trial and understand the proceedings; sanity determines whether a defendant will be held responsible for his criminal actions. And so, a defendant who is competent to stand trial may even so be found not guilty by reason of insanity. However, if a defendant is found not competent to stand trial, he will never be found guilty or not guilty, for that matter, because no trial would be held in the first place. In other words, people can be declared legally competent and also legally insane. However, people cannot be declared legally insane unless they are

    Read More

  • Mental Illness Essay

    1344 Words  | 3 Pages

    In today’s world, mental illness is still looked upon as a very bad thing and the negative views of mental illness are common within the employees. Most of the time, people assume that employees who suffer from mental illness are often seen as weird, defensive, and hard to talk to. Generally, concepts about mental illness tend to be subjective, leading to difficulties in defining mental illness. One article has described mental illness as, “ mentally distorted, mad, or crazy” and the degree of mental illness varies depending from person to person (Corrigan et al. 2010, p. 909). The following essay is based on the topic ‘Mental Illness as an Emerging Discourse’ and the article ‘Employee Mental Illness: Managing the Hidden Epidemic’ was the main article that was analysed and used in the essay to discuss the topic. The analysis has been divided into two parts which are covered equally by the study group members.

    Read More

  • Definition Essay On Madness

    1126 Words  | 3 Pages

    Madness is a word, like many others, that can have multiple meanings depending on its use and context. The word “Mad,” or “Madness” can be used to describe an individual who has fallen into insanity, one who is different than the others, chaotic to an extreme, and etcetera. The spectrum of madness can span a great distance and can vary from one person to another. When it comes down to it, a definition is all based on perception and how one defines it.

    Read More

More about Andrea Yates State Of Being Mentally Insane

Open Document