In 1997, Jesse Ernst and his older brother Ted began a crime spree throughout the Bigfork area. The brothers burglarized several homes that year and in one case killed a neighbor who tried to intervene. Both brothers were sentenced to life imprisonment, however on appeal Jesse was found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. Instead of serving a life sentence, he was released from a mental hospital after only a year of treatment and is now “working, planning to become a missionary and 'doing very well' according to his lawyer, Phyllis Quatman” (Sabol). The case of Jesse Ernst is a perfect example of the problems facing the insanity defense today. While there are some cases where this motive is very relevant, for the most part it is a motive used by defendants to escape full punishment for their crimes, and major changes are needed. To understand the complexities of this issue, we must first understand the basic concepts of the insanity exception. According to Kimberly Collins, “An insanity defense is based on the theory that most people can choose to follow the law; but some select people cannot be held accountable because mental illness or disability deprives them of the ability to make a rational/voluntary choice. Such individuals require special treatment compared to prison; Punishment is unlikely to deter future antisocial conduct in these mentally ill individuals” (Collins). It goes hand in hand with the idea that people should only be held accountable if they are aware of the wrongness of their actions, and that confining people who are unaware of their actions is inhumane (Schaefer). The problem is that it is difficult for people to objectively decide that a... middle of paper.......Marcus, David K. "The Effects of Neuroimaging and Brain Lesion on Insanity Defenses." Behavioral Science and Law 26.1 (2008): 85-97. Collection of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences. Network. May 8, 2012.Sabol, Chery. "Ernesto's verdict makes history." The Daily Interlake [Kalispell] May 21, 2001: Unknown. Print.Schaefer, Michele N., and Joseph D. Bloom. “The Use of the Insanity Defense as a Prison Diversion Mechanism for Mentally Ill Persons Charged with Misdemeanors.” Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online. The American Academy of Psychiatry and Law, March 1, 2005. Web. May 7, 2012. .Torry, Zachary D. and Billick, Stephen B. “Overlapping Universe: Understanding Legal Insanity and Psychosis.” Psychiatric Quarterly 81.3 (2010): 253-262. Collection of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences. Network. May 8 2012.