Bethan
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- Nov 16, 2013
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I really don’t see how or why a jury can make a decision over her sanity/insanity at the time of this child’s murder.She set him on fire in the family room makes the most sense to me.
Hope I'm in the ballpark of understanding her crazy. All of you mentioning her motivations for this and her readiness to "cover" fire alarms make this picture come up. Since the only view we have of what really happened is Tee's, it's going to be impossible to know.
IMO.
Wasn't she once good friends with Landen? Or am I getting that wrong?
From your post to the jury's ears!
And jumping off your post - does anyone know anything about jury instructions in a case like this? Because surely, the jury can't be expected to know which examples go with which symptoms/evidence?
I've seen instructions about medical conditions (strokes, dementia, poisoning, intellectual disabilities) but even though both bipolar and schizophrenia are medical disorders (IMO), I've not yet seen a jury given instructions about this.
But truthfully, I've never followed a case where there was an insanity plea. I hope the cases were PD's are used as defense for a horrific crime are not many. Thank you for clarifying that in CO, it is likely that there needs to be evidence of an ongoing psychotic disorder such as the ones you mention. But can a jury decide that?
Her expert is going to say that's exactly what she had/has. I do wonder so much if anyone has examples of CO jury instructions on these matters. Not the case law per se, but what the jury is going to be told to help them make this incredibly hard decision.
IMO.
They are laypersons ( most likely) & I don’t see how their opinion holds any validity.
They will no doubt hear expert witnesses from both sides holding completely opposite viewpoints.
I have a medical degree & have worked in psychiatry & have some understanding of personality disorders.
I think many laypeople may look at the defendant‘s behaviours & actions & say that ‘she’s obviously crazy’ or, as my husband commented when seeing a little of the trial ‘she‘s mentally ill’
I don’t envy the jury in this horrible trial & hope the expert witnesses’ evidence is overwhelming to help with their difficult task.