Thursday, May 26, 2011

Loughner ruled incompetent for trial

Loughner ruled incompetent for trial | World | News | Edmonton Sun

The judge cited the conclusions of two experts, a forensic psychiatrist and a clinical psychologist, that Loughner suffers from schizophrenia, disordered thinking and delusions.
Burns ruled Loughner will remain in custody at a prison hospital and set a hearing for Sept. 21 to determine whether his condition has improved enough for proceedings to resume.
Is it me, or does the American justice system make more sense than ours when it comes to mentally ill perpetrators?

I mean seriously - in Canada, if you perpetrate a crime and are deemed incompetent to stand trial, you're remanded to a mental hospital and then let go when you are judged well. My understanding of the American system is that you're remanded to a mental hospital until you are judged well enough to stand trial.

On one hand you have a system that says "Oh, you poor dear, you didn't know what you were doing. Here, take these pills for the rest of your life, and we'll let you go when we see good results" and on the other hand, you have a system that says "Oh, you poor dear, here take these pills, and we'll hold off on the trial until you're well enough to understand what's going on during the trial.".

It's the difference between protecting society from a potential relapse and repeat, and recognizing that you can't rehabilitate the perpetrator so you let him go when you've pumped him full of enough drugs.

Yup, I like the American system better.

2 comments:

  1. American-style can be good, no?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sometimes it can be. It's not like EVERYTHING the most prosperous and wealthy country in the world does can possibly be wrong, right?

    ReplyDelete