The Loeb-Leopold case - The Clarence Darrow Collection

The Loeb-Leopold Case
that you cannot prove a positive by a negative. Ten
thousand facts showing the absence of mental dis-
ease would be as easily toppled over as one fact by
the proof of the presence of a single fact demon-
strating such disease.
Unless the alienists for the State examined these
boys along the very lines and upon the very points
that the alienists for the defense did, then the evi-
dence of the alienists for the State along these lines
and on these points is without value.
To suppose that people are well mentally because
they are oriented to time, space and persons, because
they know who they are and where they are, recog-
nize people about them, show good memory, are logi-
cal and coherent in their responses to questions
asked, is just as naive as to suppose that a person
is well mentally because he is not a raving maniac.
Your Honor will recall that Dr. Patrick testified
on cross-examination that he had never before con-
ducted an examination as to mental condition under
such circumstances. Dr. Church had never con-
ducted any such examination under similar condi-
tions. The only alienist for the State who stated
that the conditions under which the examination was
made were favorable was Dr. William O. Krohn,
and his conclusions as to the mental condition of the
defendants in this case on the 21st of May, 1924,
were based upon what he called the memory, which
he said was intact, the capacity of logical reasoning,
and orientation.
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