3 AM straight-up and nary a winksie. Albert very happily on my lap, as I do some research for my book on the insanity defense in the EU. Not surprisingly, things are very different over there. In the US now, four states have completely abolished the insanity defense, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, and Utah. I guess, don't live there if you have bp 1. or something. If you get manic and steal a Coke, they will probably hang you.

The more I read about all this, the more clear it becomes that even here, where we started the first Psyciatric Security Review Board in the nation to follow those who assert the insanity defense, still, the system does not really know what it actually wants to be. It wants to do old testament style punishment, mostly, in typical US fashion. But it also, in some states, does make an often weak and lame-***** attempt to pathetically and disingenuously acknowledge that people in the throes of florid psychosis, say, simply cannot carry out the moral decision-making process in a normal fashion. But it is more window dressing than anything else.

Anyhoo, what I am getting at is that most of these states really, mostly only do lip service to the idea that someone 'insane' at the time of their offense should not be punished as a result. Mostly, what we have here is,, sure, you might be able to get an insanity verdict, but you are still going to be punished like you pled guilty. So, in the end, it realy does not offer much, if any, benefit.

Maybe a nap later.

Hugs and love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!