State v. Krol

*243The opinion of the Court was delivered by

P ashman, J.

An acquittal on grounds of insanity, unlike a simple acquittal, does not automatically free the criminal defendant. The governing statute, N. J. S. A. 2A:163-3,1 provides that if the jury finds the defendant not guilty by reason of insanity, it must then make a special finding as to whether defendant’s “insanity continues”; if it finds that defendant’s “insanity” does “continue,” defendant is ordered confined to the Trenton Psychiatric Hospital “until such time as he may be restored to reason.” This confinement is for an indefinite period…