State_v._Strasburg
State v. Strasburg
1910 Washington Supreme Court case
State v. Strasburg, 110 P. 1020 (Wash. 1910), was a case decided by the Washington Supreme Court that held that a statute eliminating the insanity defense was unconstitutional. The court likened the exclusion of evidence of insanity to a denial of trial by jury.[1]
Martin Strasburg, described as "an unknown and penniless stranger", was convicted of assault after shooting Otto Peeck in a saloon in Seattle. Lawyers saw the Strasburg case as an opportunity to have the Washington law that forbade insanity defenses declared unconstitutional.[2] The effect of the Supreme Court declaring the law unconstitutional was said to be expected to reverse the convictions of "scores" of people.[3]