People v. Taliani

Defendant was convicted, after jury trial, of 1st degree murder of his girlfriend and aggravated battery with a firearm for shooting her mother with a shotgun.Allegations and supporting documentation of Defendant's postconviction petition did not show alleged side effects of medication Defendant was taking for severe depression rendered him intoxicated to the degree that he lacked substantial capacity either for appreciate the criminality of his conduct or to conform his conduct to the requirements of law. It is not apparent that increased thoughts of suicide would deprive him of this substantial capacity. Jury rejected forensic psychiatrist's opinion, in support of Defendant's insanity defense, that Defendant's ability to appreciate criminality of his conduct was substantially impaired by his distorted belief that killing girlfriend and himself would free them from a painful world and that this belief was due to Defendant's depression. (LYTTON, concurring; McDADE, dissenting.)