Not guilty by reason of insanity, Glossary and Terms, Attorney's office, Personal Lawyer
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"Not guilty by reason of insanity"
This plea is more of a defense then a response to a criminal allegation. Technically a defendant will have committed the physical act constituting the crime but claim no legal responsibility because he or she was insane when the crime was committed. Since all crime must include criminal intent, the defendant's insanity plea is recognized as a complete defense to the charge -- thereby making the defendant not guilty.