Opinion ID: 78594
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Alabama Law on Insanity and Voluntary Intoxication

Text: Alabama law provides that insanity is an affirmative defense that the defendant must prove by clear and convincing evidence. Ala.Code § 13A-3-1(a), (c). The affirmative defense of insanity requires proof that at the time of the commission of the acts constituting the offense, the defendant, as a result of severe mental disease or defect, was unable to appreciate the nature and quality or wrongfulness of his acts. Ala.Code § 13A-3-1(a). Thus, in order to establish the affirmative defense of insanity, the defendant must establish that he suffered from a mental disease. On the other hand, voluntary intoxication is not an affirmative defense to capital murder in Alabama. Evidence that a defendant was voluntarily intoxicated is, however, admissible whenever it is relevant to negate an element of the offense charged, such as intent to murder. Ala. Code § 13A-3-2(a). Importantly, it must be emphasized that [i]ntoxication in itself does not constitute mental disease or defect within the meaning of Section 13-3A-1. Ala.Code § 13A-3-2(d) (emphasis added). Pursuant to Alabama law, [t]he degree of intoxication required to establish that a defendant was incapable of forming an intent to kill is a degree so extreme as to render it impossible for the defendant to form the intent to kill. Flowers v. State, 922 So.2d 938, 955 (Ala.Crim.App.2005) (emphasis added) (citation and quotation marks omitted). In short, the level of intoxication needed to negate intent must rise to the level of statutory insanity. Ware v. State, 584 So.2d 939, 946 (Ala. Crim.App.1991) (citation and quotation marks omitted).