Full case name Davis v. United States | Citations 160 U.S. 469 (more) | |
Majority Harlan, joined by unanimous |
Davis v. United States, 160 U.S. 469 (1895), is a criminal case establishing that in a federal case, the prosecution bears the burden of proof of sanity if an insanity defense is raised. It is a common law ruling that sets precedent in federal court, but is not a constitutional ruling interpreting the United States Constitution, so does not preclude states from requiring defendants to prove insanity, even to the point of requiring defendants to prove insanity beyond a reasonable doubt, as in Leland v. Oregon (1951).
References
Davis v. United States (1895) Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA