Caffeine Intoxication Insanity Defense, really? Really?

[IDrinkaRum]

Woody Will Smith is using the Caffeine Intoxication Insanity Defense to explain why he killed his wife in 2009

And this isn't the first time this defense has been used. According to the article, it was used in 2009 by a man named Daniel Nobel who:

...drank two large Starbucks coffees before mowing down and injuring several pedestrians with his car, won a dismissal of all charges thanks to a "caffeine intoxication" defense strategy.

Is this the new insanity defense? Starbucks on every corner. Everyone trying to keep up and drinking energy drinks.

Or is this just another way for people not to accept their responsibilities?

[Jack]

Uh. Yeah. Definitely a bad excuse. Even if you drink TWO WHOLE COFFEES caffeine isn't going to make you TRIP OUT MAN and start running people over. And I mean stimulants don't even do that, man, without going into how I know things like this let's just say I know you can drive while tweaking your ass off on coke or speed so coffee isn't going to cut it. I wonder who the idiot was who let him get off on that.

ETA: I just read the article about the murderer. While we have no data on what exactly was in the "diet pills" and "energy drinks", he claimed 400mg caffeine.

http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/caff...ine_dose.shtml

This falls into the realm of a "strong" dose. While it may be an "overdose" (in that it's more caffeine than is generally advisable to take or practically taken) I don't see how it would make a person psychotic. I base this largely on my own experience and the fact that I've never heard of this happening, though. If anything I suspect these people already had their tendencies which were triggered or exacerbated by the stimulant plus possibly stimuli from their environment. But most likely they're full of it.

[Greenday]

It depends on how much and who is drinking it. If someone who doesn't usually ingest caffiene at all, taking in a large amount is bound to do something crazy to them. I almost never drink anything that has caffiene these days and I never drink coffee. Last time I had coffee, I was going nuts in the apartment. God save everyone if I had two.

[Ginger Tea]

I think I'm immune to caffine, I drink coffee by the pint (large camping mug and it IS a pint), I can brew up, let it go luke warm and drink it before bed and have the rest when i wake up.
All that happens to me is I need to pee more, although I'm sometimes not nice at work if I havn't had a brew, well that's my excuse, sometimes the peeps I work with could use a slapping regardless.

but without reading the article it sounds too much of a cop out for your own actions

[HYHYBT]

If caffeine made people commit murder, there'd be hardly anyone left alive by now. The closest you could come would be, perhaps, "If I hadn't had all that caffeine, I would have been too sleepy to do it."

On the other hand, reading the article, it seems the defense is based more on insomnia. Prolonged lack of sleep *can* make people do things they never would otherwise... but then, if you're suffering insomnia, why are you still taking 400mg of caffeine?

[blas87]

This is along the same lines of spoons making Rosie O'Donnell fat. Come on now, people. Get a clue.

I'm going to use PMS as an excuse for the time that the straw finally breaks this camel's back, and some guy grabs me and I put him into a coma.

[Greenday]

If caffeine made people commit murder, there'd be hardly anyone left alive by now. The closest you could come would be, perhaps, "If I hadn't had all that caffeine, I would have been too sleepy to do it."

The argument isn't that ingesting some caffiene will make a person go crazy. The argument is that someone who hasn't built up a tolerance to caffiene taking a large dose of it could go crazy.

[McDreidel09]

Even if you don't have a high tolerance, it doesn't drive you to murder. The craziest you will get is probably hyperactivity. Take it from someone who is "like a hummingbird on speed" when caffeinated.

Or you can give me caffeine and a jingly belt where I am "like a squirrel full of pennies."

(I quoted two friends of mine on how I am).

[Rebel]

I once had a slight overdose on caffeine a few years ago.
I was tired at work so I had the bright idea to drink some Redbull.
4 large Redbull cans in under an hour.

I became incredibly jittery, found it hard to concentrate on anything for long, and I lost control of my eyes (I have a corrected lazy eye). At the end of my shift, I had to get my dad to pick me up because I didn't feel safe to drive. I didn't feel homicidal, but I was seriously contemplating stabbing out my eyes to make them stop twitching (GAH!). I barely drank caffeine after that.

Unless this guy had an incredibly low tolerance to caffeine then I'm doubting his defense plan. Seems more likely that it was a result or his insomnia mixed with a fight with his wife. Maybe caffeine did play a part but I doubt it's to the amount he's claiming it did. Dumb bastard would have had a better bet with an 'Insanity from Insomnia' plead.

[IDrinkaRum]

When I worked in Vienna, VA, and living where I still live now, I had to get up really extremely early to get to work. Basically, on a good day, it would take me 2.5 hours ... ONE WAY.

Okay ... to combat tiredness, I'd take No Doze pills & Jolt Cola. Every day twice a day.

I was jittery.

Hyper.

Got everything done in a few hours, and then re-did everything again.

I couldn't sit still. And I was the front desk greeter person.

I never killed anyone.

And I don't drink as much coffee/jolt cola/mt. dew as I used to.

I really don't believe this guy's defense and I hope it doesn't get him off of a murder conviction.

[joe hx]

Is there an equivalent "Alcohol Intoxication Insanity Defense"? What about other drugs?

Also, some time back Ohio changed their drunk driving laws to include things other than alcohol. So you can get a DUI (now called OVI or "Operating a Vehicle while Impaired") for things such as being too tired, or yep too much red bull (caffeine).

[Racket_Man]

unless you are Beevis and you have ingested waaaayyyyy toooooooo much caffeine and now "want teepee for my bunghole" .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yW_sIKBfIk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuNLOtGL7k4

[Dreamstalker]

I found out the hard way (dumb me actually drinking a whole bottle of the stuff because it was free) that the guarana/caffeine combination in Bawls is a bad thing, at least straight. The major effect was serious jitters, but I did think I was going to wind up with a heart attack or something. I was never violent, just hyper (if I did get violent, I doubt I would have had the presence of mind or muscle control to manage to do anything).

[guywithashovel]

I saw this on the morning news the other day. I thought it was pretty silly. Hopefully, this defense will get thrown out or the jury will be smart enough to see through it.

Maybe I should take someone out and use the pissed-me-off defense. Yeah, I may have killed the sorry slob, but I was really pissed off at the time, so I should be found not guilty and be able to go along with my life.