Kansas Jury Accepts Prozac-Made-Me-Do-It Defense
According to hutchnews.com in Hutchinson, Kansas, a jury has acquitted a prisoner of beating a corrections officer because it bought the accused’s defense that high doses of Prozac drove him batty.
“Andrew Housworth, 31, was found not guilty Friday of five counts of battery against a correctional officer and two counts of aggravated battery of a correctional officer and a fellow inmate….
“Housworth also admitted during trial his criminal history included aggravated assault, criminal threat and attempted robbery. However, he testified he believed high dosages of Prozac, an anti-depressant prescribed to him at the prison and jail, influenced his behavior.
“It made him feel like he wanted jump out of his skin, he said. Housworth told jurors he never intended to hurt anyone.
“During the time he’s spent in youth shelters, jails and prisons, Housworth said he had nothing but “minor write-ups” until he began taking Prozac in 40-milligram to 90-milligram dosages at the local prison and jail.
“He said he never stopped taking the drug because he was 70 days shy of parole in June 2007, and then he signed a parole agreement specifying he would take his prescribed medications.
“Housworth said his concerns about Prozac’s effects on him were ignored by local prison and jail staff.”
Generally, meds-made-me-do-it defenses aren’t too successful in court, so Housworth’s case must’ve been quite compelling.
I can certainly sympathize a bit: I wound up in 1993 on 40, 60 and then 80 mgs. of Prozac and it made me utterly wacky and gave me that “want to jump out of my skin” feeling of akathisia.
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