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Assassin Guiteau

Introduction

Charles Rosenberg as the author of the book gives a narration of the account of the trial

of Charles Guiteau which stands out as a celebrated occurrence after the murder of President

Garfield in 1881. Additionally, the trial case has been used by Charles to give an account of

sanity and criminal responsibility. During the court hearing, within the courtroom twenty-four

experienced witnesses had gone to the court in favor of the two primary schools of psychiatric.

However, the role of the genetics towards the influence of behavior was accepted to be possible.

Moreover, there was a fierce debate between the psychiatrists if heredity and the external

environment would have been influential in the assassination undertaken by Guiteau (Dale, &

Elizabeth, 421). Therefore, from my point of view, I came to learn that heredity influences the

behavior of an individual.

Guiteau who had considered himself to be instrumental towards the presidency of

Garfield because he had tiresomely worked for the party was pleased by the fact that Garfield

was determined to scrap off the patronage system. Therefore, he decided to eliminate the

president and elevate Chester. An Arthur, the then Vice President because he claimed the actions

of the president would ruin the Republican Party (Dale, & Elizabeth, 431). Additionally, Guiteau

had used a revolver to shot the president twice from behind in a Washington railway station and

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later died while under medication because he was handled by non-sterilized instruments and

every bit of the treatment was pathetic.

The trial had turned out to be a tourist attraction being that it is one of those court cases

where insanity defense was considered as the doctors had to prove that Guiteau was insane and

no criminal responsibility was to be attached to his assassination case. However, his assistant

counsel had a dissenting voice because he claimed that his client was sane and was given

directions by God on what to undertake. Moreover, his violent interception led to the disruption

of the proceedings. The author indicates the coverage of the trial that heredity has close relations

insanity that was responsible for the recklessness of the murderer (Dale, & Elizabeth, 438).

Therefore, from the indication, I learn that insanity can be inherited along the family lines.

During the course hearing, there were disagreements in many forms. The implication is

that; first, there a dispute by mentioning that insanity served the same purpose as religion and

secondly there was lack of a standard understanding if insanity could be inherited. Therefore, it

is the basis of the case as reflected by the author that attracted my attention. Because there is the

concept of the debate of body versus behavioral interpretation of sanity, there is a claim that the

defendant is not responsible for his actions because he was suffering from a psychiatric disease

at the time of the assassination (Rosenberg, 94). Therefore, the criminal responsibility will have

to be lessened due to the mental state at the time of the criminal act. It is clear that from the trial,

the defendant can present any season with an attempt of pleading not guilty.

On the debate of whether heredity can be a cause of insanity, there have been fierce

arguments between the defendant's lawyers and the witnesses who claimed that the accused was

in his right state of mind at the time of the murder. However, the act of assassination is linked to

heredity as the lawyers claim that the behavior has been inherited being that it is a trait in the

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family line. However, the jury never considered the claims at the time of the execution and

instead proceeded to make their verdict, where the defendant was found guilty of the murder of

the president (Rosenberg, 85). After reading the trial, I came to learn that insanity can be as a

result of heredity just as in the case of the defendant.

Moreover, there is a concept of the disagreement about the relation between insanity and

religion. Guiteau had claimed that his actions of killing the president had been guided by God

and that he never did the act out of his free will. However, it is clear that God cannot have a

direct influence on the criminal actions of an individual because it is based on the state of mind

of the perpetrator and that was the focus of the debate. Additionally, the center of the debate was

between the personal assistant who had objected the opinions violently and claimed that the

defendant was not insane but guided by God to articulate the murder. On the other side, while

still giving views on the Rosenberg's interpretations of the trial, he envies the incompatibility

between medicine and law (Rosenberg, 75). The lawyers of the defendant had claimed that their

client had to undergo the medical test to make a confirmation that he was insane and that no

criminal responsibility was to be labeled against him.

From the trial itself, there are two historical issues raised by the author. The first issue is

the concept of politics and presidency. It is clear that from the ancient times the security of the

president was not guaranteed and their life was in danger from all side. Therefore, it is historical

to note that politics took roots in Western countries during the ancient times, and it the start of

the political rivalry. Additionally, it is important to note that the Republican Party was

formulated during the ancient times and its leaders have always been radical (Rosenberg, 45).

The second historical issue is the concept of the court system where in the event of passing a

verdict in murder cases, those who were found guilty were hanged.

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Conclusion

The trial of Guiteau concerning his murder cases has erased in the minds of many in the

contemporary society, but it remains to one of the most controversial cases within the courtroom.

Additionally, the trial as depicted by the author had triggered debate on some issues. The

implication is that the act of murder of the defendant was linked to insanity as they claimed that

he was not in his right state of mind. On the other hand, the defendant contended that his actions

had been directed by God and no criminal responsibility was to be labeled against his (Dale, &

Elizabeth, 440). However, at the end of the court proceedings, he was found guilty of the murder,

and he was hanged.

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Works Cited

Dale, Elizabeth. "Criminal Law and Justice in America." A Companion to American Legal

History (2013): 422-440.

Rosenberg, Charles E. The Trial of the Assassin Guiteau: Psychiatry and Law in the Gilded Age.

Chicago [u.a.: Univ. of Chicago Press, (1995): 30-100.

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