Instructions: In this task, we ask you to rewrite a sentence in simple English without changing its general meaning. Essentially, you want to make the sentence easier to read by using simpler words, utilizing more straightforward sentence structures, and omitting non-essential information etc.
Input: The insanity defense , also known as the mental disorder defense , is an affirmative defense by excuse in a criminal case , arguing that the defendant is not responsible for his or her actions due to an episodic or persistent psychiatric disease at the time of the criminal act .
Output:
In criminal trials , the insanity defense is the claim that the defendant is not responsible for his or her actions due to a mental illness .