Court is in Session

On the first day we learned about mental disorders we were told the difference between insanity and a mental disorder. The only difference is the setting. Insane is used as a legal term, while a mental disorder is a medical term.  If a person is charged with a crime they can be found innocent by reasons of insanity. What a court does to determine if someone is legally  insane is they bring in psychologists to determine if the person was aware of their actions when they committed the crime. Someone who is legally insane does not now the difference between right and wrong and therefore can not be responsible for their actions.

 This topic reminded me of the movie and book A Time to Kill. In this movie two men rape Carl Lee Hayley's daughter and right before their trial began Carl shot both of the men. When this goes to court he pleads innocent for reasons of insanity, because he was emotionally traumatized by his daughter's rape that he couldn't tell right from wrong. Even though Carl Lee Hayley did not suffer from a mental disorder, the court found him innocent.