Opinion ID: 2584196
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Plichta's opening statement

Text: Plichta's trial commenced on January 10, 2005. In her opening statement, Plichta's counsel began by telling the jury that: [On] August 1, 2003 James Plichta set out to walk his dog. A short while later he was running for his life. He was running from a group, as he thought, of people. They weren't people. They weren't human. They were attackers. They were aliens. They were beings that were surrounding him. At this point, the prosecution objected on the ground that, [u]nless defense anticipates defendant testifying to any of this, I don't believe the doctor's going to be allowed to testify to aliens. Defense counsel responded that the doctor can testify to this, apparently referring to Dr. Stojanovich, and that Plichta intends to testify to this also. The prosecution replied, Very well[,] and the circuit court overruled the objection. Defense counsel then continued her opening statement as follows: James Plichta found himself surrounded by an array of nonhuman, alien attackers who were after him to destroy him. He was in that area at that time because he believed that by going there to Sand Island he would be given the information he needed to escape, that he was going to be rescued by other human beings who knew about these attackers, that he would be rescued from that area. And he entered Mr. Jepson's car not believing it was Mr. Jepson's car but believing it was a vehicle that he was entitled and supposed to enter to find the way to how he was to be rescued, that when Mr. Jepson came after him, [Mr. Jepson] was just one more attacker, one more alien out to kill him, out to cause him to be destroyed. And as things progressed ÔÇö and, yes, you'll hear these things did happen that the [prosecution] has described in terms of the conduct . . . that took place. As these things continued to happen, [Plichta] runs to the United Foods van. He starts looking in . . . the back of the truck, to try to find out[, ]What am I supposed to be doing here? Where is the answer to this escape?[] And he finds nothing, but then he's got Mr. Sayson and all these angry people at him. Then he's got the police coming toward him. And as it culminates and as it builds, he's more and more threatened. He's more and more out of control. He's more and more panicked. All of this episode is described by one of the witnesses. You'll hear Dr. [K]osta Stojanovic[h]. He is a medical examiner who examined Mr. Plichta after this offense[and] who analyzed the information in this case . . . And he'll testify as to what he found. And what he'll tell you is that James Plichta, on August 1, 2003, more likely than not suffered from a mental disease, defect, or disorder that basically prevented him from knowing right from wrong, from being able to recognize the wrongfulness of his conduct. In other words, he didn't know that these were the very things he was doing. He didn't have a sense the way you and I would of what we were seeing obviously happening. And Dr. Stojanovic[h] will also tell you that [Plichta] . . . suffered from an impairment of his volitional capacity, meaning he couldn't control his conduct. He couldn't make himself behave in accordance with the law at that point because of his mental illness. Dr. Stojanovic[h] will tell you this is a brief psychotic episode. And a psychosis is a severe mental illness at the time a person loses contact with reality. There's a lot of definitions, but he'll explain that to you. . . . And Dr. Stojanovic[h] will explain to you that underlying illness that [Plichta] had that developed into this psychosis and that he still has although he's over the psychosis[.] Dr. Stojanovic[h] will explain to you how that mental condition turned into the psychosis that led to the results on this day. . . . . The issue is[,] was he able to control his conduct? Was he aware of the wrongfulness of his conduct? And Dr. Stojanovic[h] is going to tell you that he was not. And when you finish hearing that evidence as well as the evidence of the conduct that occurred, we're going to ask you to return a verdict of not guilty . . . by reason of insanity, lacking penal responsibility. Not meaning he's not responsible. Meaning he's not penally or criminally responsible because of his mental situation at that time.