People v. Wingeart

Defendant, having waived trial by jury, was convicted after trial before Judge Breakey of the Washtenaw circuit, of robbery armed and rape. As Judge Breakey observed in rendering judgment, defendant did not deny committing either offense; he relied instead upon the defense of insanity. The sole issue before the trial judge was whether defendant was sane at the time he committed the offenses charged. Defendant’s sanity having been put in issue by defense plea and evidence of insanity, the prosecution had the burden of proving his sanity beyond a reasonable doubt, as *274it does every other…