What is the insanity defense requirement?

• A. Lacked memory of the act
• B. Acted under duress
• C. Lacked the ability to understand the wrongful nature of his act at the time of the crime
• D. Was intoxicated at the time

Answer: (C)

The insanity defense rests on the defendant’s mental state at the time of the offense and whether they could understand the wrongfulness of their conduct due to a mental disease or defect. The best choice captures the key idea: the defendant lacked the ability to understand that the act was wrong at the time it was committed. This aligns with the traditional right-wrong standard (M’Naghten), which focuses on knowing the act and knowing it’s wrong because of the mental condition.

Memory loss isn’t the test, duress is a separate defense based on coercion, and intoxication generally doesn’t establish the insanity standard, since it doesn’t prove a lack of understanding of wrongfulness due to a mental defect.