This book grew out of my seminar on The insanity defense in which the contributors participated by discussing the topics and cases in this book and by writing these materials. They had previously taken my lecture course on Psychology and law. All are profiled in About the contributors.
This volume is modeled on one published by Oxford University Press which answered ninety-seven frequently asked questions in seven chapters. This book answers ninety-eight frequently asked questions in seven chapters. Because the answer to each question is self-contained and because readers may choose to explore the book in various ways, some materials are repeated where necessary to answer each question.
In addition to the questions and answers, this book includes a number of case examples, which are of two types. For type one, called Common cases, all contributors generated material. At the first meeting of the seminar, all members viewed the Frontline documentary on the Ralph Tortorici case, A crime of insanity. Then each member of the seminar asked two questions concerning the case and answered them. Next, each read The killing of bonnie garland about the case of Richard Herrin and Under the banner of heaven about the case of Dan and Ron Lafferty and generated portions of those case write-ups along with some parts of the John Hinckley, Jr. case. For type two, called Case studies, each contributor explored a case illuminating an important aspect of the insanity defense and wrote an individual study about it. These cases are arranged by date.
Following the examples of the model texts, this volume includes an extensive bibliography but does not refer specifically to each listing in the text itself. Intended for the general reader and not for the researcher, this volume assists the student or interested member of the public in thinking about the insanity defense.
For simplicity the masculine pronoun has been used throughout the book to indicate both males and females. On some occasions a plural accompanies a singular to make the same point.
