Breaking: Army psychiatrist convicted of murder for Fort Hood shooting, now eligible for death

[branford]

21. Do you have any evidence that Hassan could not differentiate between right and wrong,

or did not know that his actions were illegal. Those are usually the standards to support a not guilty be reason of insanity defense. Moreover, those suffering from mental disease or defect are not immune to criminal prosecution or necessarily protected from the deleterious effects of actions they knew to be wrong.

If Hassan suffers from a lesser mental illness, he will receive treatment while in custody, just as the Army is treating his physical injuries.

Hassan is free to raise his mental competency on appeal. Since he is a trained psychiatrist, and the judge was particularly careful when letting him represent himself, I expect most appellate courts will almost summarily dismiss such claims.

I have no objection to Hassan receiving a death sentence considering the nature and extent of his crime. I similarly would not object if his punishment is a lonely, small cell in a supermax facility for the rest of his life. So long as Hassan's last breath is that of an incarcerated prisoner, justice will be served.

I'm a both a lawyer and a liberal. I believe that the criminal justice system should show compassion when warranted. However, I am not an idiot. Hassan has demonstrated no remorse or anything justifying a punishment less than death or life imprisonment. Hope is not a rehabilitative therapy or strategy.