{"identifier":"/us/usc/t18/s17","title":18,"num":"\u00a7\u202f17.","heading":"Insanity defense","text":"\u00a7\u202f17.\nInsanity defense\n(a)\nAffirmative Defense.\u2014\nIt is an affirmative defense to a prosecution under any Federal statute that, at the time of the commission of the acts constituting the offense, the defendant, as a result of a severe mental disease or defect, was unable to appreciate the nature and quality or the wrongfulness of his acts. Mental disease or defect does not otherwise constitute a defense.\n(b)\nBurden of Proof.\u2014\nThe defendant has the burden of proving the defense of insanity by clear and convincing evidence.","url":"https://projectusc.org/usc/t18/s17.html","content":[{"t":"sec","id":"/us/usc/t18/s17","children":[{"t":"num","text":"\u00a7\u202f17."},{"t":"heading","text":"Insanity defense"},{"t":"subsec","id":"/us/usc/t18/s17/a","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(a)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Affirmative Defense.\u2014"},{"t":"content","text":"It is an affirmative defense to a prosecution under any Federal statute that, at the time of the commission of the acts constituting the offense, the defendant, as a result of a severe mental disease or defect, was unable to appreciate the nature and quality or the wrongfulness of his acts. Mental disease or defect does not otherwise constitute a defense.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subsec","id":"/us/usc/t18/s17/b","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(b)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Burden of Proof.\u2014"},{"t":"content","text":"The defendant has the burden of proving the defense of insanity by clear and convincing evidence.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"text","text":"\n"}]}]}