Opinion ID: 1175284
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: proof of sanity

Text: Defendant claims the state did not meet its burden of proving that he was sane beyond a reasonable doubt at the time he burned Buster. A defendant is presumed to be sane. State v. Berndt, 138 Ariz. 41, 45, 672 P.2d 1311, 1315 (1983). However, under the statute in effect at the time, once the defendant raises the issue of insanity, the burden is on the state to prove the defendant was sane beyond a reasonable doubt. [1] State v. McShine, 131 Ariz. 485, 487, 642 P.2d 482, 484 (App. 1982). The state produced three expert witnesses each of whom testified that defendant was sane at the time of the offense. Also, the jury heard the statements defendant made directly after the killing which showed that defendant knew exactly what he had done. Evidence presented at trial indicated that defendant might suffer from temporal lobe epilepsy. Dr. Bindelglas testified that there is a definite probability that Vickers has temporal lobe epilepsy. However, Dr. Bindelglas admitted that a person who has temporal lobe epilepsy is not necessarily legally insane. Only when the person is having a seizure or is in a disassociative state would the person not know right from wrong. Drs. Masland, Tuchler and LaWall each testified that defendant was legally sane when he committed the murder. All three experts also testified that, given the complexity of the volitional acts taken in the commission of the killing, defendant could not have been having a seizure at the time he killed Buster. We believe reasonable minds could conclude that defendant was sane beyond a reasonable doubt. The state met its burden of proof and, because substantial evidence supported the jury's verdict, we are bound by that verdict. State v. Berndt, 138 Ariz. 41, 46, 672 P.2d 1311, 1316 (1983); State v. McShine, 131 Ariz. 485, 487, 642 P.2d 482, 484 (App. 1982).