Jesse L Payne v. State of Indiana

── Jesse L Payne v. State of Indiana ── Case No.: 20S-CR-00313 Court: Indiana Supreme Court Date: May 18, 2020 Author: Justice Christopher Goff County of Origin: Parke Category: Criminal Decision: Remanded Justice Rush and Justice David concur. Justice Massa dissents. Justice Slaughter joins Our criminal legal system rests on the basic assumption that humans are rational agents of free will with the ability to exercise conscious choice in their everyday actions. So, when an individual possesses “sufficient mental capacity to fully comprehend the character and consequences of a criminal act,” the law holds him responsible accordingly. Goodwin v. State, 96 Ind. 550, 563 (1883). The corollary to this maxim holds that “mental unsoundness does not merely mitigate the offence but excuses it.” Id. at 576.