Can kleptomania be used as a legal defense?

0 votes
asked Nov 27, 2019 in Mental Health by oticlop (340 points)
Can kleptomania be used as a legal defense?

1 Answer

0 votes
answered Nov 27, 2019 by gripgetter00 (1,790 points)
Although Kleptomania is recognized in the mental health field as a mental disorder the Kleptomania diagnoses will not hold up in court if someone is arrested for theft or shoplifting.

You can still be ordered to pay fines or serve jail time and be found guilty of shoplifting or theft even though you have been diagnosed with Kleptomania.

You can bring up the case that you suffer from Kleptomania in court when you stole the things and it might help your case somewhat especially if it's only your first offense.

But the judge still has to proceed with doing what is legal and what the court is governed by law to do.

So if you're found guilty of theft and the theft is enough to be a felony then you could still serve prison time for the theft.

Although people with Kleptomania cannot help stealing it's still stealing and needs to be controlled so if you or someone is suffering from Kleptomania you need to get mental help and therapy to help control the urges to steal.

98,443 questions

94,834 answers

1,270 comments

6,992,829 users

...