Los Angeles Sanity Hearing Attorneys

What is a Sanity Hearing?

Sanity hearings are used to legally determine whether or not the defendant accused of a crime embodies the mental competence to stand trial. Before any type of charge can be taken to the courts, the accused individual must be deemed mentally capable of being able to adequately handle themselves in a trial courtroom. Furthermore, they must display the mental capacity necessary to comprehend the legal situation in which they will soon find themselves.

During the hearing, evidence is presented on whether:

• The individual understood the nature of the crime he/she is accused of
• The individual understands that the act was wrong

A jury will then decide unanimously that the defendant was insane during the commission of the crime, and is subsequently not guilty by reason of insanity.

The History of the M’Naghten Rule

Under the M’Naghten Rules, some criminally insane persons are exempt from legal punishment. These are a set of rules established in the 1800s after an attempt was made by Daniel M’Naghten to assassinate the British Prime Minister. The controversial assassination attempt led to the formation of a defense panel, which ultimately established a set of legal guidelines to be used when a criminal case involves the questioning of a defendant’s sanity at the time that the illegal behavior was committed. Questions of mental health, as they pertain to criminal defense cases, still rely upon the set of governances predicated during the trial. During a M’Naghten trial, the court determines whether or not the defendant understood his/her actions and knew that they were wrong.

By deciding these two factors, a jury trial should be able to determine the sanity (or lack thereof) of a defendant. Sanity hearings, such as the M’Naghten trials, begin with a presumption of sanity and rely on the defendant to prove their mental incapacitation. It must be established legally – not medically – that the person on trial suffers from a disease of the mind in which malfunctioning could lead to abnormal behaviors. Assuming that the defendant did not comprehend the immorality of their behaviors, the quality of the act (and its physical nature) will also be assessed. Different punishments may result from an insane attempt vs. a partially insane attempt. It should also be noted that crimes without specific intent, such as DUI, do not generally classify as crimes of insanity.

What Happens After a Sanity Hearing?

Individuals deemed incompetent to stand trial will be sent to a state-run mental health facility until they have regained competency. Once competency has been restored, criminal proceedings resume.

An individual is considered incompetent if they cannot comprehend the nature of the proceedings against them and/or cannot assist in their own defense.

Protecting the Rights of Those with Mental Health Issues

Those who suffer from mental illness are still allotted rights within the legal justice system, and a Southern California mental health attorney can help ensure that these rights are not compromised. At Lessem, Newstat & Tooson, LLP, we have represented hundreds of clients suffering from various levels of mental illness. We have relationships with top psychologists and psychiatrists and can help make sure that clients who are not competent to stand trial have their rights protected.

Whether you are in need of a lawyer who can adequately represent you in a sanity hearing, or your case has already been taken to another court system and now awaits trial, we are here to offer our services. Having represented hundreds of clients suffering from mental illness, we have the experience to navigate and understand the complex issues that arise in competency hearings and other proceedings where mental health becomes an issue.

Don’t wait to contact a Southern California sanity hearings defense lawyer from our firm. You need legal help, and we can help.