Anthony Peters, the man who assaulted Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett with a tire iron earlier this month, will plead not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, according to attorney Anthony D. Cotton. According to his attorney, Peters has a history of mental health problems, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and Peters also may have spent time in a mental health institution.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out as the court proceedings continue, and I’m willing to bet that despite his history of mental health problems, Anthony Peters will be found to be fit to stand trial and be held accountable for the crimes he committed.
I’m going to disagree with you here, Zach. (Oh, that wasn’t earth-shaking news, was it?) If Peters’ background holds, I bet the courts will confine him to treatment.
Don’t you think Barrett will want the right thing done? Although he suffered physically, I have a sense he wouldn’t want Peters to suffer more than he may be already with a mental disease. Of course, confining to treatment should last a very, very long time. That’s really the better thing for society when a guy like Peters can get so violent.
I’m no legal eagle, but I don’t know that bipolar disorder and paranoid schizophrenia meet the definition of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, since he’d have to demonstrate a lack of “substantial capacity either to appreciate the wrongfulness of the conduct or to conform that conduct to the requirements of law.” The fact that Peters fled the scene and then attempted to evade capture makes me doubt he didn’t appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct.
Cindy, do I read this right, that you’re calling for treatment rather than incarceration?
I’ve got to agree with Zach here. To me, with the caveat that I don’t practice criminal law, this sounds like a “kitchen sink” defense. What chance would Peters have otherwise? You have reliable witnesses of a brutal unprovoked attack.
Jason – wouldn’t “confining to treatment” be a little of both? Confined, can’t be released under own request, and treatment.
Cindy, he can get treatment and meds while being incarcerated for his crimes.
Fine, as long as treatment and meds are part of the deal.