15481. Insanity: Legal Versus Psychiatric Viewpoints. This research paper provides an overview and analysis of legal versus psychiatric/medical views of insanity with a particular focus on the insanity defense and the legal approach to mental illness in the criminal courts. The essay begins with a historical background on the development of the insanity defense. Following this, we consider the use and components of the insanity defense in contemporary American jurisprudence, looking at the acceptance of the insanity defense as a valid legal strategy in various jurisdictions, the alternatives to the insanity defense, and the psychiatric and legal issues surrounding insanity defenses and the disposition of acquitted defendants. KEYWORDS: law psychiatry legal status mentally ill persons insanity defense term paper. APA Style. 13 pages, 48 footnotes, 21 bibliographic sources. 5,502 words.