Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Black-rage insanity defense: A legal defense used in criminal cases where the accused claims that their mental disorder caused them to commit the crime. This defense is specifically used by African-Americans who have experienced violent outbursts due to racial tensions. If successful, the defendant may not be acquitted but instead committed to a mental institution.
The black-rage insanity defense is a type of insanity defense used in criminal law. It is an affirmative defense that claims a mental disorder caused the accused to commit the crime. Unlike other defenses, a successful insanity defense may not result in acquittal but instead in a special verdict ("not guilty by reason of insanity") that usually leads to the defendant's commitment to a mental institution.
An example of the black-rage insanity defense is when an African-American person commits a violent crime due to racial tensions. This defense was first used in the mid-1990s.
For instance, if an African-American person is provoked by racial slurs and commits a violent crime, they may use the black-rage insanity defense to argue that their mental state was affected by the racial tensions and that they were not fully responsible for their actions.