NGRI
Law & Legal abbreviation · Criminal Law
| Stands for | Not guilty by reason of insanity |
|---|---|
| Categories | Law & Legal |
NGRI stands for Not guilty by reason of insanity, a criminal law abbreviation.
Verdict finding that the defendant committed the act but is not criminally responsible because of severe mental illness at the time. A defendant found NGRI is usually committed to a secure psychiatric hospital rather than released.
Example: After the NGRI verdict, he was committed to the state hospital until found no longer dangerous.
Usage notes
Many states use the M'Naghten rule (inability to know the nature of the act or that it was wrong), while others follow the Model Penal Code's substantial-capacity test. After John Hinckley's 1982 acquittal, Congress narrowed the federal defense in the Insanity Defense Reform Act of 1984. Kahler v. Kansas (2020) upheld a state's abolition of the traditional moral-incapacity test.
Related abbreviations
More criminal law abbreviations
- IAC – Ineffective assistance of counsel
- IST – Incompetent to stand trial
- LWOP – Life without parole
- Misd. – Misdemeanor
- MPC – Model Penal Code
- NCO – No-contact order
- NPA – Non-prosecution agreement
- PBJ – Probation before judgment
- PC – Probable cause
- PCR – Post-conviction relief
- PO – Probation officer or parole officer
- PR – Personal recognizance
See all 46 criminal law abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.