For this assignment, you will review the hypothetical scenario and compose a 2-page paper in response.
Defendant: Alex Ashworth
Facts:
Alex was in his friend Allison’s home in Boulder, Colorado drinking straight vodka and doing drugs. Alex told Allison that he has not taken his prescribed mental health medications for two weeks. This did not concern Allison until Alex started discussing his plan to kill his father. Allison knew that without his prescribed medication, Alex could be psychotic. When Allison said she would call the police, Alex pulled a handgun out of his bag and threatened her with it. Allison, who feared for her life, fled from her home with the intention of going to a neighbor’s house to call the police. As soon as Allison left, Alex stuffed a rag in the half-empty vodka bottle, lit it, and tossed it on the couch as he left the dwelling. Allison’s dwelling went up in flames.
Alex then proceeded to the nearest convenience store, where, brandishing the weapon, he took money and cigarettes. Alex then drove to the home of his father, where he broke down the door by kicking it in and shot his father to death.
The local police arrived shortly after that to find Alex unconscious on the living room floor. When the police revived Alex, Alex said he had no memory of the last several hours. Local police took Alex to their headquarters in handcuffs, where they interrogated him. After 10 hours of interrogation, Alex confessed to killing his father. Local police, however, forgot to read Alex his Miranda rights.
This hypothetical was inspired by the crime spree of Allan Ashmoore.
https://abc30.com/news/shooting-suspect-talked-about-killing-his-father-da/2567137/
Assignment
In this assignment, you will be challenged to apply critical thinking skills to describe possible defenses for Alex Ashworth. In writing your paper, be sure to define and analyze the problem, examine potential defenses, and select the best two defenses. These will be based on a Colorado statute or the U.S. Constitution.
Be sure to consider the Colorado statutes regarding defenses to criminal liability
https://casetext.com/statute/colorado-revised-statutes/title-18-criminal-code/article-1-provisions-applicable-to-offenses-generally/part-7-justification-and-exemptions-from-criminal-responsibility
and the statute for impaired mental condition.
You may consider your textbook or other credible sources a constitutional defense.
Please discuss each defense using the FIRAC format. Include an introductory paragraph with the facts. Then for each defense, provide the issue, rule, analysis, and conclusion.
Your paper must be at least two full pages of content, excluding the title page and references.