Quote:
Originally Posted by Gareth Monkton
Extract from "Irrational Behavior" By Marya Hornbacher
In 2004, Pat Forciea went on a check-forging spree that devastated his personal and professional relationships, and he wound up with an eight-year jail sentence. He has bipolar illness. A previously law-abiding citizen and a well-known and highly respected political and business figure, Forciea committed a crime that was a classic example of uncontrolled bipolar disorder resulting in a major manic episode. Forciea was placed in the Federal Medical Center in Rochester after having another manic episode, this one behind bars; he was there for 21 months and it was, he says, “a life-changing and life-saving experience.” He is still in prison.
When someone as well-known as Forciea suddenly goes on a bipolar spree, it’s hard for the criminal law establishment not to notice and have some sympathy. But most bipolar victims can expect no such treatment: neither they nor the people who arrest them really understand what’s happening.
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Forciea is hardly the first respectable citizen to be brought down by bipolar illness. In 2005, former state senator Win Borden was convicted of failing to file his tax returns for six years. During his trial, when his lawyer saw Borden introduce himself to his son, the lawyer ordered a psychiatric evaluation: Borden is bipolar. This did not affect his sentencing, though his psychiatrist clearly stated that his offense was partially due to his disease. Although his illness was a factor in his crime, it was not a factor in his punishment.