What is sanity?
Sanity refers to a person’s mental condition at the time of an alleged criminal offense. If a person was unable to know the wrongfulness of his or her actions at the time of an alleged criminal offense, as a result of a mental disease or defect, then the court may decide that the person is not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI). If the court makes this decision, the judge usually orders the person to be treated in a hospital operated by ODMH. The judge may also order that the person be treated at an outpatient mental health facility on a legal status known as conditional release. The NGRI commitment (in the hospital or on conditional release) may continue for as long as the person would have served in prison if convicted of the single most serious charge with which he or she was charged.
