Johnny lived with his wife and three kids. He had an errati…
Johnny lived with his wife and three kids. He had an erratic temper and sometimes beat his wife and children. Lately, he had been having problems at work and had taken to stopping at the neighborhood pub before coming home. On many of these nights, Johnny had attacked his family members while in a drunken state. Three days after a particularly savage beating of his 17-year-old son, Garry, Johnny came home late from work in another drunken state. Johnny’s wife was not home, and Garry was taking care of his younger siblings. Johnny asked where his dinner was, knowing that his wife usually left him a plate of good if he missed the family meal. Garry told his father than he had given the good to the family dog. Angered by his son’s statement, Johnny said, “I’ll have to teach you to have some respect for your father,” but feeling a little unsteady, he added, “after a little nap.” Johnny then collapsed on the couch. Garry knew that there would be trouble when his father came to, so he took the children to a neighbor’s house and asked the neighbor to mind them for a while. Garry then returned home and looked for his father’s shotgun, but could not find it. After thinking for a while, he got a large knife from the kitchen drawer and waited near the couch for his father to awaken. When Johnny awoke to find his son holding a knife, he said in a worried voice, “Garry, my son, what are you doing?” Garry said, “You won’t hurt us anymore.” And then he jabbed the knife into his father’s chest. Johnny died nearly instantly. Garry was brought to trial as an adult for the killing of his father. Assume for the purposes of this question only that Garry’s lawyer introduced an insanity defense. If the jurisdiction follows the Model Penal Code, and psychiatric testimony is introduced showing that Garry suffered from a qualifying mental disease or defect, which of the following, if proven, would be the best reason why Garry should be acquitted?