Annals of unusual criminal defenses: the lawyer defending Hiccup Girl Jennifer Mee on murder charges says he may blame her actions on Tourette’s Syndrome, a medical condition not ordinarily linked to violence or criminality. [CBS News/WFOR/AP, Lowering the Bar]
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A person who commits a crime because of a medical condition should not be punished. However, he/she is still a danger to society, and should be locked away for the sake of the rest of us.
When you can figure out how to lock people away without punishing them, let us know.
By legislation, of course. One need simply title the bill “The Locking People Away Without Punishing Them Act” and hey presto, it go up there with all the other laws we make fun of here.
Bob
Or you could change the phrase, ‘Locking People Away’ to ‘Sending on an All Expenses Paid Holiday for Life’.
Well, I guess that if there’s a videotape that makes it utterly clear that your client did it, and your client refuses to plead guilty, then you’ve gotta come up with something.
Has anyone seen a response from any of the Tourette’s advocacy groups? I’m sure they’re thrilled to the core with this theory of defense.
She just happened to be holding a gun, and pointing it at the victim, when she was afflicted by a tic. It was completely involuntary.
Just to be clear, of course, that’s a joke; police think one of the others present most likely pulled the trigger. She’s up on a felony murder rap for allegedly luring the victim to a robbery that then turned lethal.
Or you could change the phrase, ‘Locking People Away’ to ‘Sending on an All Expenses Paid Holiday for Life’.
Or you could call the bill the “Secure Provision of Free Healthcare Act”
re: locking people away without punishment.
Civil commitment for life for sex offenders after they have completed their punitive sentences is claime to be non-punitive.