Opinion ID: 314130
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: DeLuca's Insanity Defense

Text: 22 Appellant DeLuca claims that he was incompetent to stand trial, that the government proof of sanity was insufficient to support the jury's verdict of criminal responsibility beyond a reasonable doubt, that permitting the psychiatrist who gave him his Sec. 4244 examination to testify was improper under the holding of United States v. Driscoll, 399 F.2d 135 (2d Cir.1968) and that the jury should have been instructed that DeLuca could be found not guilty by reason of insanity. We reject all of these contentions. The question of DeLuca's sanity was for the jury to decide. His arguments were fairly and adequately presented to the jury as were those of the government. See United States v. Bohle, 475 F.2d 872 (2d Cir. 1973). Sufficient evidence was presented to permit the jury to find beyond a reasonable doubt that DeLuca (who after all had been selected to be the ultimate recipient of the valuable illicit shipment) had the requisite mental capacity. See United States v. Freeman, 357 F.2d 606 (2d Cir. 1966). United States v. Driscoll, supra, is not in point since the government's psychiatrist did not express an opinion based on his earlier Sec. 4244 examination. This circuit does not provide for a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity as requested by the appellant. See United States v. Freeman, supra. Finally, the trial judge was well within his discretion in refusing to allow further lay testimony as to DeLuca's post-arrest behavior, in denying the appellant's request for a continuance for further scientific tests and in refusing to permit collateral impeachment of the government's expert witness.