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LSDefine

Simple English definitions for legal terms

Twinkie defense

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A quick definition of Twinkie defense:

The Twinkie defense is when a person accused of a crime says that they did it because they ate too much sugary food, like Twinkies. This argument was used in a famous trial in 1979, and it worked to get the person a lighter punishment. Some people think this is not a good defense, and the law has been changed so that it can't be used as much anymore. The term "Twinkie defense" is also used to describe other strange defenses that people use in court.

A more thorough explanation:

The Twinkie defense is a legal strategy that uses an unconventional argument to defend a defendant in a criminal trial. The term originated from the 1979 trial of Dan White, a San Francisco politician, who was charged with first-degree murder. During the trial, a psychiatrist testified that White's consumption of sugary foods, such as Twinkies, could lead to diminished capacity. White's lawyer used this testimony to argue that White lacked the premeditation and deliberation elements necessary to establish first-degree murder. As a result, White was convicted of a lighter offense of involuntary manslaughter.

The legitimacy of Twinkie defenses has been debated. After White's trial, the California legislature amended its penal code to soften the intent requirements for first-degree murder, so subsequent defendants could not rely on the Twinkie defense. The term "Twinkie defense" has been used in various contexts, such as describing "outrageous" medical-related defenses. The term has also been associated with a defendant's right to choose their own counsel.

Imagine a person is on trial for stealing a car. Their lawyer argues that they were sleepwalking at the time of the theft and, therefore, should not be held responsible for their actions. This is an example of a Twinkie defense because it is an unconventional argument that seeks to diminish the defendant's responsibility for their actions.

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MIAMI A
[] AromaticTroubledDormouse
20:55
How does one know if they are UR1 or UR2?
[] AromaticTroubledDormouse
20:56
CONGRATS MACAQUE!
TY
got a random stanford email and almost had a heart attack
ALSO CONGRATS!
Congrats1!
21:15
Miami A, yall I'm so excited I could cry.
21:15
Feel like I can finally stop holding my breath!! Whew!!!
[] baddestbunny
22:16
every time I get accosted by a strange man who follows me around because my male coworkers were too busy talking to walk me back to my car I get closer to saying we need to bring back traditional gender roles
Dkk
22:32
Nice! @Macaque
Dkk
22:32
@Aromatic, Have to guess.
Dkk
22:33
That sucks @Bunny do you have to go to the hospital?
[] baddestbunny
22:40
I said accosted not assaulted
23:35
guys. my notre dame address just went long is this good or bad
1a2b3c4d26z
23:37
Oooooo me too
23:37
omg is this good or bad
Dkk
23:47
Idk if gender roles are gunna fix that then.
23:49
it looks like most people who applied in october last cycle didn't get a decision until january... does it even mean anything that our addresses went long??
hows ED 2 compared to ED 1?
Dkk
0:10
No idea
windyMagician
0:34
reporting live to say my ndls address also went long
does it mean anything ^
Dkk
2:21
NDLS and Fordham took a very long time last year. It's good info for people to know.
[] baddestbunny
4:29
let’s get after it boys and girls
Dkk
5:21
I gtg to bed soon.
Dkk
5:22
Big day today. Gunna be a crazy one. I will sleep through the first half.
good morning lsd it is 5 am EST
also jazzy my ndls address went long ages ago i sadly do not think it means anything
my stanford address also went long LOL i think at most it's an indicator it's under review
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