I've missed something here that I'll bet has already been discussed. Can someone answer this question in a nutshell: How can AB plead not guilty? Is this the first phase toward an insanity defense?
TIA
Everyone pleads "not guilty"..
I don't think they can use "insanity defense" here at all...it is really so limited
any action of hiding/covering up a crime negates it
the last case I have seen that would be a true "insanity defense" is that monster who kiled his fellow bus rider on a Greyhound and stood in front of police cutting off pieces of the victim and eating him
insanity defense is like...they don't know that murder is wrong or punishable or anything...
example...murderer stands over top victim with a knife and waits for police and says "I did a good job...I killed this alien...beam me up"
now..when it comes to the sentencing phase..that is when they can bring in the experts, claim all sorts of mental illness etc....to get a lesser sentence or the best deal
but it is really hard for them to just do a whole trial on "insanity"...hardly ever allowed
I think all "suspects" are usually pled out as "not guilty"...after all our system is "innocent until proven guilty"
I think they use that plea and then put together their defense strategies
and of course in some cases they will try to cut a deal..a plea bargain
in cases where someone has confessed and there is a lot of physical evidence a plea might be a good way to go (this case IMHO)
