Answered step by step
Verified Expert Solution
Question
1 Approved Answer
Kahler, charged with capital murder after he killed four family members, unsuccessfully argued that Kansas's insanity defense violated due process because it permits the conviction
Kahler, charged with capital murder after he killed four family members, unsuccessfully argued that Kansas's insanity defense violated due process because it permits the conviction of a defendant whose mental illness prevented him from distinguishing right from wrong. Convicted, Kahler was sentenced to death. The Supreme Court affirmed. Due process does not require Kansas to adopt an insanity test that turns on a defendant's ability to recognize that his crime was morally wrong. A state rule about criminal liability violates due process only if it "offends some principle of justice so rooted in the traditions and conscience our people as to be ranked as fundamental." Early common law reveals no consensus favoring Kahler's approach. The tapestry of approaches adopted by the states indicates that no version of the insanity defense has become so ingrained in American law as to be "fundamental." The defense sits at the juncture of medical views of mental illness and moral and legal theories of criminal culpabilityareas of conflict and change--and is a matter for state governance, not constitutional law. Sim[lify
Step by Step Solution
There are 3 Steps involved in it
Step: 1
Get Instant Access to Expert-Tailored Solutions
See step-by-step solutions with expert insights and AI powered tools for academic success
Step: 2
Step: 3
Ace Your Homework with AI
Get the answers you need in no time with our AI-driven, step-by-step assistance
Get Started