Shannon v. United States
United States Supreme Court
512 U.S. 573 (1994)
Relevant factsFree
Shannon (defendant), tried for unlawful firearm possession by a felon after shooting himself in the chest in front of a police detective, raised an insanity defense and requested a jury instruction explaining that a not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity (NGI) verdict would result in his involuntary civil commitment; the trial court denied the request, the jury convicted him, and Shannon appealed.
IssueFree
Whether the federal district court is required to give a jury instruction about the consequences of a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.