Broward Criminal Attorney Using Insanity Defense for Teen Charged with Second Degree Murder

In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the criminal defense lawyer for a 15-year-old girl accused of killing one of her classmates has said will seek an insanity defense for his client, who faces a second-degree murder charge in connection with a November 12 shooting. The girl is being charged as an adult, so if she is convicted of murder, she could face life in prison.

The defendant reportedly told police, “I wanted her to feel pain like me,” after the shooting. Her attorney said the teen suffers from severe depression which causes her suicidal thoughts and habitual self-cutting. According to court documents, the defendant sliced her arm with a razor blade 96 times the day before the shooting and sent text messages to the murder victim.

The motion outlining the insanity defense included mention of the defendant’s sexual molestation at age 6. It also stated that her parents beat her with a belt on a regular and that she writes suicidal poetry and short stories.

The court date is scheduled for Tuesday, July 28.

Attorney for teen accused of killing Dillard classmate seeks insanity defense, South Florida Sun Sentinel, May 28, 2009
Contact a Fort Lauderdale criminal defense attorney if you have been arrested and charged with a crime.