Judge rules that paranoid schizophrenic beliefs are the same as Christianity

Of course, the more obvious verdict should be that BOTH the defendant AND his beliefs are insane. ;-)

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Subject: [AU] Florida judge holds that paranoid schizophrenic beliefs are the same as Christianity

http://truth-out.org/news/item/12222

The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that the state can proceed with the execution of 64-year-old John Erroll Ferguson, despite its finding that he is a paranoid schizophrenic. The Justices upheld the ruling of a lower court, which found that Ferguson's "Prince of God" delusions, while "genuine", are not "significantly different than beliefs other Christians may hold." Gov. Rick Scott has since signed a new death warrant with the execution scheduled for Tuesday, October 23 at 6 p.m.

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Ferguson was sentenced to death for a 1977 mass murder in Miami Dade, which he committed shortly after the state released him from a mental hospital against the warnings of several state-appointed psychiatrists. During his incarceration, state appointed experts have continued to diagnose him with paranoid schizophrenia.

The prosecution initially argued that Ferguson was faking his symptoms. But that was shot down last week by Bradford County Eighth Judicial Circuit Judge David Glant who found the testimony of Ferguson's experts "credible and compelling" and ruled that Ferguson's delusions are "genuine." Nevertheless, Glant ruled that Ferguson is competent for execution because his beliefs are in keeping with Christian teachings.

Ferguson expresses the belief, among other things, that he is the "Prince of God" chosen to fight two antichrists alongside Jesus - after which he will rule the world with multiple wives. In his mind, his incarceration is part of a "hardening" process designed by God to prepare him to return to earth after his execution and save America from a communist plot.

Ferguson's delusions represent a "relatively normal Christian belief, albeit a grandiose one," concluded Glant. "There is no evidence in the record that Ferguson's belief as to his role in the world and what may happen to him in the afterlife is so significantly different from beliefs other Christians may hold so as to consider it a sign of insanity."

Ferguson's attorneys immediately appealed Glant's decision to the Florida Supreme Court, which upheld the lower court's ruling, though they ditched the "his delusions are totally normal Christian beliefs" part.