Ah, planting the seeds of Doubt
Blagojevich a nut job?? The coverup starts??
Some Question Blagojevich's Mental Health
Jim Williams
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Gov. Rod Blagojevich knew for months he was under investigation, so why was he caught on tape making so many incriminating statements? Some are wondering if there's something wrong with his mental acuity.
As CBS 2's Jim Williams reports, right after the feds announced the charges against Blagojevich, there were angry shouts across the country. "disgusting" and "arrogant" is what many called him.
However, after some reflection, there is the serious question people like Marian Cassler of Chicago are asking: "When you know you're being watched, why would you do something like that? You have to have something wrong."
"Well, we think he's nuts, that he has some kind mental problem that he would have the audacity to do such a thing," said Chicago resident Meg Olsen.
Could it be that Blagojevich has a mental illness that has impaired his judgment?
Dr. Daniela Schreirer is a forensic psychologist at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and she does not see any sign of mental illness in the public Blagojevich, but believes he does have sociopathic traits.
"We're just talking about traits. We're not talking about full-blown diagnosis. But certainly, there's the same sense of entitlement, the same sense of thinking I am superior. I can do whatever I want. I am not going to be caught," Schreirer said.
Could a claim of a mental illness be the Blagojevich's best defense in court?
"There's a difference between being crazy and being legally insane," said CBS 2's Legal Analyst Irv Miller.
Miller says don't expect Blagojevich's attorneys to even try that defense.
"Now, he's saying through his lawyer 'I didn't know I was doing anything wrong.' That doesn't mean he had a mental disease or defect which is going to get him off the hook in a federal courthouse," Miller continued.
Defense attorneys have to prove mental illness prevented the defendant from knowing the difference between right and wrong.
Miller says that is a very difficult standard and the reason so many attorneys never use an insanity defense.
It's still early and it will be interesting to see what argument Blagojevich's attorneys
