State v. Curry
Ohio Supreme Court
45 Ohio St. 3d 109 (1989)
- Written by Sharon Feldman, JD
Facts
While driving, Barbara Curry (defendant) crossed the center line into the path of an oncoming truck. The vehicles collided, and the truck driver was killed. Curry was charged with negligent vehicular homicide. Curry pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. During the bench trial, Curry presented evidence that she was emotionally distraught because of her separation from her husband, did not sleep for three days before the accident, and appeared to be in a daze. A psychiatrist testified that Curry suffered from a disorganization of thought that made her incapable of appreciating her conduct was criminal. Rejecting Curry’s insanity defense, the trial court found that Curry’s personal problems and self-imposed lack of sleep made her unable to mentally concern herself with traffic laws. The court of appeals reversed, holding that insanity is a defense to negligent vehicular homicide and Curry had established the defense. The state (plaintiff) appealed, arguing that (1) insanity is only a defense if it negates the intent element of the offense, and negligent vehicular homicide does not require an intent to kill; and (2) the evidence was insufficient to establish the defense.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Wright, J.)
What to do next…
Here's why 820,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:
- Written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students. 46,300 briefs, keyed to 989 casebooks. Top-notch customer support.
- The right amount of information, includes the facts, issues, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
- Access in your classes, works on your mobile and tablet. Massive library of related video lessons and high quality multiple-choice questions.
- Easy to use, uniform format for every case brief. Written in plain English, not in legalese. Our briefs summarize and simplify; they don’t just repeat the court’s language.
