Barcroft v. State

The Supreme Court affirmed the trial court’s judgment finding Defendant guilty but mentally ill (GBMI), holding that the evidence led only to the conclusion that Defendant was insane when the crime was committed.Defendant was charged with murder. Defendant invoked the insanity defense and waived her right to a trial by jury. During the bench trial, three mental health experts testified that Defendant was legally insane at the time of the murder and could not appreciate the wrongfulness of her actions. The trial court rejected Defendant’s insanity defense and found Defendant guilty of GBMI, relying on evidence of Defendant’s demeanor in rendering its verdict. The court of appeals reversed, concluding that because of Defendant’s history of mental illness and the unanimous expert opinion, the demeanor evidence had no probative value. The Supreme Court vacated the court of appeals’ opinion and affirmed, holding (1) the fact-finder may discredit expert testimony and rely instead on other probative evidence from which to infer Defendant’s sanity; and (2) evidence of Defendant’s demeanor, taken together with the flaws in expert opinion testimony and the absence of a well-documented history of mental illness, supported the trial court’s rejection of Defendant’s insanity defense. View "Barcroft v. State" on Justia Law