Posts tagged Eighth Amendment
Kahler v. Kansas (2020): Unjust Abolition of the Insanity Defense, or Criminal Justice Reform?

On November 28, 2009, following a divorce and an episode of severe depression, James Kahler drove to a family gathering where he shot and killed his ex-wife, two daughters, and their grandmother. At trial, he was convicted of four counts of first-degree murder. Despite Kahler’s history of mental illness, the defense was barred from using the insanity defense because Kansas state law denies its use when criminal intent can be proven.

Read More