Every once in a while a case comes along where the defendant confesses to a crime, but the defense tries to argue that the defendant was not of sound mind at the time. This case is no different; the court knows the defendant is guilty, the only thing it isn't sure about is the punishment this murderer should receive. The State is pushing for a prison sentence and is adamant that the defendant was of sound mind at the time of the murder. It is almost impossible for the defense to prove their weight of evidence of 51%. The State contends that the defendant was criminally responsible at the time of the murder. Using excessive exaggeration, premeditation and motive, the prosecution will prove that the defendant knew exactly what he was doing and how wrong it was. In an age where just saying you hear voices is enough to be labeled crazy, claiming you heard things made it very easy for the accused to have an "excuse" to fall back on. Hearing voices isn't the only thing the defendant exaggerates. He goes into great depth talking about his super sense of hearing, for example, being able to hear from both heaven and hell. “I have heard everything in the heavens and on the earth. I heard many things in hell” (Poe p. 1245). He also said he could hear the old man's heart beating. There are many exaggerations in his story. The defendant also speaks of being able to remain perfectly still for more than an hour while holding a lantern in his hand. “For a whole hour I didn't move a muscle. . .” (1246). It is humanly impossible to remain perfectly still for more than an hour, especially while holding a lantern. If one were to attempt this stunt, one would only last fifteen to twenty minutes before giving up due to exhaustion. These exaggerate......middle of paper......others who just claim to hear voices or claim to have killed someone because they didn't like the look of a person's eye from which they can get off on a lighter phrase. The defendant planned all of this, and if everything goes as he planned, there will be a murderer released from a mental institution after a short period of time instead of being locked up for the rest of his life with prison. other criminals as he deserves. If this person were crazy, he would not have mentioned anything about the old man's fortune if it was so unimportant that he never mentioned it. The States believe the defense failed to prove the 51% burden and this man must be convicted and sent to prison before he kills someone else and uses "insanity" as an excuse again. Works Cited Edgar Allen Poe, Tell Tale Heart