Colorado statute
C.R.S. § 18-1-803 — Impaired mental condition.
Current through 2025 Regular Session
Part of Part 8: RESPONSIBILITY, Colorado Revised Statutes.
Full text of C.R.S. § 18-1-803
Statutory text current through the 2025 Regular Session. This is an officially sanctioned publication using the official text of the Colorado Revised Statutes; it is not the official statutes of the State of Colorado.
(1) Evidence of an impaired mental condition, as defined in section 16-8-102 (4), though not legal insanity, may be offered in a proper case as bearing upon the capacity of the accused to form the culpable mental state that is an element of the offense charged. (2) An intention to assert the affirmative defense of impaired mental condition shall be made pursuant to section 16-8-103.5, C.R.S. (3) When the affirmative defense of impaired mental condition has been raised, the jury will be given special verdict forms containing interrogatories. The trier of fact shall decide first the question of guilt as to felony charges which are before the court. If the trier of fact concludes that guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt as to one or more of the felony charges submitted for consideration, the special interrogatories shall not be answered. Upon completion of its deliberations on the felony charges as previously set forth in this subsection (3), the trier of fact shall consider any other charges before the court in a similar manner; except that it shall not answer the special interrogatories regarding such charges if it has previously found guilt beyond a reasonable doubt with respect to one or more felony charges. The interrogatories shall provide for specific findings of the jury with respect to the affirmative defense of impaired mental condition in accordance with the Colorado rules of criminal procedure. When the court sits as the trier of fact, it shall enter appropriate specific findings with respect to the affirmative defense of impaired mental condition. If the trier of fact finds that the defendant is not guilty by reason of the affirmative defense of impaired mental condition, the court shall commit the defendant to the department of human services pursuant to section 16-8-103.5 (5), C.R.S. (4) This section shall apply to offenses committed before July 1, 1995.
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