Opinion ID: 1137859
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Legal Insanity

Text: Gerlach's life has been essentially an odyssey of catastrophe and perversion. There can be little doubt but that she is decidedly psychotic  she is a textbook case. All of this evidence, however, runs smack dab into the M'Naghten rule which in laymen's terms states that: Just because you are crazy does not mean you are legally insane. See Laney v. State, 421 So.2d 1216, 1218-1219 (Miss. 1982); Harvey v. State, 207 So.2d 108, 110-115 (Miss. 1968). In the context of M'Naghten  given the fact that there is testimony on both sides of the issue  a jury's verdict on the insanity issue is essentially conclusive and unreviewable. Frost v. State, 453 So.2d 695, 698 (Miss. 1984); Groseclose v. State, 440 So.2d 297, 300-01 (Miss. 1983); Lias v. State, 362 So.2d 198, 201 (Miss. 1978); Smith v. State, 245 So.2d 583, 585-86 (Miss. 1971). As indicated above there is in this record lay testimony inferentially suggesting at the time in question Gerlach was sufficiently in possession of her faculties so that she knew the difference between right and wrong and was able to appreciate the nature and quality of her actions. When this is coupled with Dr. Maggio's opinion that Gerlach was legally sane, we are seen without authority to disturb the verdict of the jury. Groseclose v. State, 440 So.2d 297, 300-301 (Miss. 1983). CONVICTION OF MURDER AND SENTENCE OF LIFE IMPRISONMENT AFFIRMED. PATTERSON, C.J., WALKER and ROY NOBLE LEE, P.JJ., and HAWKINS, DAN M. LEE, PRATHER, SULLIVAN and ANDERSON, JJ., concur.