Criminal
Aug. 9, 2013
ABA addresses gay 'panic' defenses
The panic defense tactics are relics from a time when the LGBT community faced widespread hatred and discrimination with few options for recourse. By D'Arcy Kemnitz
A woman sits at a bar. A man approaches her. After talking they leave the bar together and go to his house. When he places his hand lightly on her leg, the woman removes it. Minutes later, she pulls out a gun and murders him.
At trial, the woman says that she flew into a violent insanity when the man made a pass at her and had to kill him. She is acquitted of all charges.
This scenario sounds extreme. The woman's rea...
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