LETTERS: INSANITY PLEA IS A TRAVESTY TO JUSTICE

To the editor:

A June 19 article, "Man pleads innocent by insanity in killing of twin sons," brought up the insanity plea once again.

Once there used to be the idea that a person is responsible and accountable for his own actions. Indeed, the foundation of justice is based on that idea. For justice to be truly served, insanity, or any form of mental illness, should be prohibited as a defense. Justice is the action taken on the individual by society after he has failed to follow its moral and legal codes. But when a psychiatrist testifies that a criminal is insane and should be acquitted or treated instead of imprisoned, justice is being subverted and denied.

The insanity plea is a mockery of justice. This ridiculous situation ranks up there with the Crocodile Dundee Defense (pleading guilty to murder with a big knife because one just saw the movie) or the Twinkie Defense (pleading guilty to murder because one was depressed after eating junk food.

To hide their failures, psychiatrists subvert justice in the courts with the dubious insanity plea. Otherwise, one might notice that it is their own failed cases that are committing the majority of the violent crimes.

The solution is simple. Recognize that every person is responsible for his or her own actions and must be held accountable for those actions. Repeal any insanity defense. Remove psychiatrists from the courts and the justice system. Let's have some real justice for a change.

MORITZ FARBSTEIN

St. Louis