A Chicago area man is facing multiple felonies in Michigan after he showed up at a rural parochial school for unknown reasons. Police were called to the school, but the man had already left. He was found later at a local McDonald’s. Police confronted the man and asked for identification. The man said his ID was in his vehicle, but when he got back inside, he drove his car directly into the police SUV and drove off. Eventually, the vehicle skidded off the road and the driver abandoned it. The suspect took off on foot where he was eventually apprehended. He is now facing multiple felonies related to assault with a vehicle on an officer. He is facing a separate charge of driving with an altered or forged driver’s license.
No one, however, knows why the man was in rural Michigan at the time. The man has no ties to the local community and appears to be entirely out of sorts with his environment. Nonetheless, he did use a motor vehicle to strike a police vehicle with a police officer inside it. So, despite the fact that he may be fighting off an undiagnosed mental illness, he will face consequences for those actions.
What are his chances of pursuing an insanity defense?
Not bad, as a matter of fact. But he will be investigated thoroughly prior to that. His defense attorney will argue that he was not in his right mind when the assault occurred and that with the help of medication and treatment, he could lead a normal life. While the officers were no doubt frightened by the man’s conduct, the man was having hallucinations and delusions that caused him to respond in panic. No one was injured, so it is not that big of a deal. The police will charge you with a crime regardless of how aberrant your behavior is. The district attorney can then pursue the charges or not, depending on the quality of their case.
Importantly, insanity defenses are not the same as a determination of insanity for the purposes of pursuing a trial. The court must determine that the defendant can understand the charges against him and contribute to his own defense. If he cannot, then he would be remanded to the care of a psych ward until he is stabilized enough to understand the charges against him. Then the case could proceed. Once the case proceeds, the defendant can say he is not guilty by reason of insanity. If the court determines that he is stable enough to enter civilized society, he can go free with an insanity verdict. More often, however, the defendant is detained in the care of a forensic psychiatric facility where they could stay indefinitely if he is deemed a threat to himself or others. Most do not simply walk away from an insanity defense and rejoin society. Someone would have to say that they can do so without being a threat to others.
Talk to a Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney Today
If you are facing criminal charges in Illinois, call the Chicago criminal defense attorneys at David Freidberg today at (312) 560-7100 to discuss the matter in more detail and allow us to begin preparing your defense immediately.