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Caitlyn Davis
Southern New Hampshire University
English 123 5-6 Persuasive Essay Draft
Instructor Jessica Gilpatrick
February 5 , 2023
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5-6 Persuasive Essay Draft
Even though insanity defense is seldom used in criminal prosecutions, it is still a controversial
topic in the legal system. After a defendant in a high-profile case is declared not guilty by reason
of insanity, legislators and the public community often dispute the necessity for the defense. For
example, there was a public uproar when John Hinkley successfully utilized the defense after
shooting President Ronald Regan only to impress actor Jodie Foster. The necessity for the
insanity defense has been disputed by both legal and medical professionals. Those who want to
conserve it should keep in mind that forty-eight of the Fifty states still have some form of
insanity defense. Although some people may object to the Insanity defense, this defense is a
necessity to adequately punish a clinically mentally ill person, to ensure the safety of the public,
and abolishing the insanity defense is unconstitutional.
The insanity defense was created to defend clinically mentally ill individuals who do not know
right from wrong. According to the McNaughten rule, the accused must demonstrate that they
