Wisconsin man has charge overturned due to mental disease plea
When court decisions are overturned, it's often due to new forensic or DNA evidence that exonerates an individual that may have been wrongfully proven guilty. But, sometimes issues such as mental disabilities will come to surface and force judges and lawyers to rethink how to sentence someone that may have committed a crime. Such is the case of Joshua Johnson, from Shawano County, Wisconsin.
Back in February, Johnson was charged with first degree intentional homicide, according to WAOW, the local ABC affiliate. The suspect admitted to killing his father in their home. But, the court ruled on on October 30, after hearing testaments from experts and other figures involved in Johnson's life that he will not be charged with crime due to mental illness.
According to the source, at the time of the homicide, Johnson was suffering paranoid schizophrenia. Jared Redfield, the man's lawyer, states that he was hearing voices which he acted upon.
While the court may definitively know that Johnson will not be charged with the crime, they are still uncertain on how to sentence him, mostly due to fear of another violent outburst.
"We will argue that Mr. Johnson must be placed in a mental institution," Greg Parker, district attorney in Shawano County, told the source. "And that institutional commitment to be for the remainder of his life."
The next hearing for the case will be on December 6 and, until then, Johnson will reside in the Shawano County jail.
As this case may require a number of specialists and experts to testify under oath regarding the current medical condition of the suspect, it may benefit the litigators and judges involved in the case to have the most accurate deposition transcripts available.
By partnering with Wisconsin court reporters that are certified in real-time reporting and also offer video deposition services, lawyers can rest assured that the transcripts being provided are high-quality and comprehensive.
