Court case over fatal car crash raises issues of mental health and criminal liability

By KENYA HUNTER and KATE BRUMBACK
Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — No one disputes that Michelle Wierson crashed her SUV into a car stopped at a traffic light in suburban Atlanta, causing the death of a young boy. But while prosecutors say she needs to be held accountable for her actions, her lawyers say her mental state at the time absolves her of liability under Georgia law. Prosecutors want a judge to bar Wierson from using an insanity defense. But if that defense is allowed, they want to introduce evidence they say shows that she wasn’t taking all of her medication. Defense attorneys argue that if the state succeeds, the insanity defense would be completely gutted for this case and others.