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American Morning

What Punishment Should Andrea Yates Receive?

Aired August 08, 2001 - 11:25   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Returning now to our top story, Houston mother Andrea Yates was arraigned today on capital murder charges. She pleaded not guilty just moments ago, claiming mental illness. A hearing is going to be held to determine if she is fit to stand trial, though.

Yates is accused of drowning her five children in a bathtub. She's undergone treatment for severe post-partum depression in the past.

Dr. Kimberly Yonkers is a Yale psychiatrist who specializes in postpartum depression and Dr. Yonkers joins us now from New Haven. Good morning, doctor. Thank you very much for joining us today.

DR. KIMBERLY YONKERS, POSTPARTUM RESEARCHER: Good morning.

HARRIS: Now, we understand that a report has been put together and handed to the judge in this hearing, this arraignment hearing this morning. What kind of a report, what kind of examination would she have gone through by this point?

YONKERS: Well, I haven't been following the details of the case, so I can only speak generally.

HARRIS: OK.

YONKERS: But based upon what you said, it sounds like there is a hearing about whether she has the capacity or should be standing trial. In all likelihood, what the judge will be trying to ascertain is whether she understands that she's being charged with these crimes, understands the implication and can aid her defense in basically defending herself. And that would mean does she have the capacity, does she have the mental capacity to assist in her own defense.

HARRIS: Now, in this case, postpartum depression is playing a big factor in this. Now, I'm assuming that -- is it common for that to be played or to be used in, I guess in conjunction with an insanity defense?

YONKERS: Well, I wouldn't say common. Certainly any mental illness can be pivotal in a defense of a patient who, or a person who is pleading insanity or is trying to establish incompetence or a lack of capacity to stand trial. HARRIS: All right, well, if you were charged with doing the examination in this particular case by the judge in this court to decide whether or not she is fit to stand trial, what is it that you look for?

YONKERS: Well, you really try and ascertain whether she has some sort of mental deficit or mental defect that makes it difficult for her to appreciate her actions or the ramifications of her actions. Did she know, for example, that when she was presumably drowning her children that she was doing something that was illegal, that was harmful to them, harmful to her family? Does she appreciate her actions in some way?

HARRIS: This may be a tough one to ask you as a, maybe as a defender of the profession, but how is it that, is it possible for a defendant to trick or convince an examiner or psychiatrist like yourself that this was the case? Is there any way to fake it?

YONKERS: I would have to say that it's pretty difficult to fake it and people who don't appreciate actions as grave as this are grossly disorganized. They really have a very serious incapacity or a defect in appreciating their actions, and that's very difficult to fake. I think the other thing to appreciate is the people who the physicians or psychologists who are doing these evaluations are generally very experienced, very savvy. They've seen numerous, numerous patients from all sorts of settings. So they're quite talented in being able to render their opinions.

HARRIS: Well, Dr. Kimberly Yonkers, we thank you for lending us your talents this morning.

YONKERS: Thank you very much.

HARRIS: Thank you very much. Take care.

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