Yates is Insane

And so is the criminal justice system

A Texas jury today found Andrea Yates not guilty by reason of insanity in her second trial for the 2001 drowning of her five young children. The Washington Post has a short analysis by a legal expert offering context.

There is no victory here. Yates will be sent to a heavily-guarded mental health facility, where she will probably spend the rest of her life. From time to time she will be evaluated. And, if past is prologue, every time her medicine allows her to regain a little bit of sanity she will realize what she did to her beloved children and then descend again back into some sort of madness. So this story started as a tragedy and continues as a tragedy even with though the defense finally won the day.

Check out the polarized comments at the bottom of the post and then consider this story from today's St. Paul Pioneer Press or this story from City Pages archives.