The nebulous notion of "defective mental condition" evolved in later cases into saying that someone "suffering from an abnormal condition of the mind" was not responsible for his crime. To follow this logic, the more horrible the crime, the further the criminal departed from civilized norms and by definition the more "abnormal" his mental condition. By such reasoning, every violation of law should be excused.
Thomas Sowell, "The Vision of the Anointed," p.156
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