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"Killer who tore out own eyes fuels Texas debate on insanity defense"

By Douglas A. Berman

The title of this post is the headline of this piece from the Dallas Morning News.  Here are some excerpts from the piece: Everyone agrees Andre Thomas is crazy. In 2004, he cut out the hearts of his wife and her two children and pocketed them. Before his murder trial, he plucked out his right eye. In January, while on death row, he ripped out his other eye and swallowed it. Thus far, courts say Thomas is not insane. His case is a classic example of the complexities of Texas' insanity defense law ? and why some mental health advocates are pushing to change it. Several bills pending in the Texas Legislature would do just that.... Thomas is "clearly 'crazy,' " a judge on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals wrote in a concurring denial of his appeal last month, "but he is also 'sane' under Texas law...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on April 11, 2009 (boomark / email).