- insanity defense
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n.A defense to criminal prosecution based on the claim that the defendant cannot be guilty because he or she lacked the ability to behave correctly and the capacity to understand that his or her act was criminal.
The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008.
- insanity defense
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The claim of a defendant in a criminal prosecution that he or she was insane when the crime was committed, and therefore should not be held accountable. (See also: diminished capacity, McNaghten Rule)Category: Criminal LawCategory: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits
Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. Gerald N. Hill, Kathleen Thompson Hill. 2009.
- insanity defense
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n. A defendant's assertion that a mental disorder excuses the defendant from legal responsibility for a crime.
Webster's New World Law Dictionary. Susan Ellis Wild. 2000.
- insanity defense
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A defense asserted by an accused in a criminal prosecution to avoid liability for the commission of a crime because, at the time of the crime, the person did not appreciate the nature or quality or wrongfulness of the acts.
Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.
- insanity defense
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A defense asserted by an accused in a criminal prosecution to avoid liability for the commission of a crime because, at the time of the crime, the person did not appreciate the nature or quality or wrongfulness of the acts.
Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.
- insanity defense
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n.the claim of a defendant in a criminal prosecution that he/she was insane when the crime was committed, usually only temporarily.
Law dictionary. EdwART. 2013.
