Tell Tale Heart Insanity Plea Paper The legal definition of insanity is when someone cannot determine three things in their mind. The three things are; they cannot determine right from wrong, they cannot determine fantasy from reality, and they cannot control their actions. During the case the defense has the burden of proof (“Legal Burden of Proof”). This is important because in normal cases the prosecution has the burden. In insanity cases, because of the Insanity Defense Reform Act of 1984, it is required of the defense to prove with a “preponderance of evidence” that the defendant is insane (“Insanity Defense”). A preponderance of evidence is met when the evidence shows that the proposition is more likely than not. If the defense does not prove the three elements mentioned above, then the defendant is sane. In the case of the defendant in…show more content… An instance in which he controlled his behavior was when the defendant went into the victim’s room for seven nights previous and did not attack the man. Only on the last night, when the man awoke, did the defendant commit the murder. Another instance in which the defendant shows control over his behavior is the precaution he showed. The defendant stated, “If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body. The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence. First of all I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs” (The Tell-Tale Heart). He took the precautions of cutting off the victim’s head, arms, and legs in a tub so there wouldn’t be any trace of blood on the floor. Not only did he dismember the victim’s body, but he strategically hid the body parts under the floorboards. He also replaced the floorboards to cover his tracks. This man was clearly sane if he could take the level of caution in killing the man as he