Most people know that people accused of breaking the law have to enter a plea in response to the charges that they face. Typically, defendants either plead guilty or not guilty.
A guilty plea results in sentencing, while a not-guilty plea means taking the case to trial. In some cases, people may be able to enter an alternative plea to one of those two standard options. For example, people in certain circumstances may be able to enter a plea of not criminally responsible when facing certain charges.
What does it mean to plead not criminally responsible to a pending criminal allegation?
Intent and capacity both matter in court
For prosecutors to successfully bring criminal charges against an individual, they need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that someone broke the law. For many charges, an element of intent is necessary in addition to a connection to the criminal incident. During violent altercations, for example, an individual typically needs to intend to harm someone else for the incident to meet the state definitions of various crimes.
When a defense attorney enters a plea of not criminally responsible, what they essentially claim is that someone was in a state of diminished capacity. In other jurisdictions, that same plea might involve a claim of temporary insanity or mental incapacity. If someone lacks the capacity to understand their actions are a crime due to mental disease or defect, then that may diminish their criminal culpability for their acts.
Essentially, a defense attorney enters a plea of not criminally responsible and tries to convince the courts that the person accused could not understand the consequences of their actions or lacked the ability to fully control their behavior. In scenarios where defense attorneys successfully enter pleas of not criminally responsible, their clients may be able to avoid incarceration and may instead be subject to alternative consequences, such as mental health treatment.
There are many nuances to state criminal laws that allow people facing violent criminal charges opportunities to avoid conviction. Learning more about different defense strategies can help people minimize the impact of the criminal accusations they face.