Court Papers: Levi Aron, Suspect In Murder Of Leiby Kletzky, Has Personality Disorder

[NoGOPZone]

Source: CBS New York

A psychiatric evaluation now finds that accused killer Levi Aron has a personality disorder.

Mental illness has been suggested as a factor since the day Aron was arrested and charged with murdering and dismembering 8-year-old Leiby Kletzky.

“This would go to the issue of whether or not he has a mental disease or defect that may or may not qualify him for the insanity defense,” Deborah Denno, a law professor at Fordham University, told CBS 2′s Derricke Dennis.

Denno said she was not surprised by the evaluation’s finding, especially in light of Aron’s last court appearance, where he was found fit to stand trial. He showed little emotion, kept his head down with his eyes darting around the courtroom.



Read more: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/08/10/levi-aron-suspect-in-murder-of-leiby-kletzky-has-personality-disorder/

[catbyte]

1. No sh!t, Sherlock...

[Alcibiades]

2. The person reporting this is simply ignorant

No personality disorder would qualify Aron as NGRI. The few people who are able to successfully employ this defense have some sort of delusional disorder or are unmedicated schizophrenics: these are typically people who have a long history of mental illness. A personality disorder would not prevent Aron from being able to being able to determine the nature and wrongfulness of his actions. The bar for NGRI is extremely high: if anything, his diagnosis with a personality disorder, and nothing else, actually PRECLUDES using NGRI as a defense. The fact that his sister is a schizophrenic has no bearing: what's important here is that Aron is not a schizophrenic.

The real news it that he's competent to assist counsel and sane. What this shows is that his lawyer has no defense for him, and knows it. He has to go to trial with something, though, which is why the defense will ride this horse. There's video of Kletzy getting into Aron's car, body parts in the man's fridge, and a written confession. The quotes here are cherrypicked to sensationalize the insanity defense. "Well, people have been later found NGRI." Yes, but how often? The real world answer is almost never.

[woo me with science]

3. Exactly right.

Good post.

[udbcrzy2]

4. That's why they are going to try to convince the jury

of his mental state, because they have no defense. I hope they get a smart jury who can see through all of this. I hope the Prosecution has some really good expert witnesses who can connect with that jury.

[SoCalDem]

5. Gee whiz.. do you think?

Of course he does.. "normal" people don;t do what he did.. but then he still deserves life in jail.. he'll fit right in

[24601]

6. I'll slightly disagree in that he deserves death. Her has earned

death; however, his state has decided that it's off the table in New York. So this isn't about deserves, it's about what is available now and that appears to be life without parole.