The Twinkie Defense: How Dan White's Legal Team Revolutionized Criminal Defense

In 1979, Dan White's lawyers introduced a groundbreaking defense strategy that would forever change how mental state is considered in criminal proceedings. This episode examines the controversial diminished capacity defense in the assassination of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, featuring rare courtroom audio and interviews with legal scholars. We analyze how White's defense team successfully argued that depression and junk food consumption affected his mental state, resulting in a dramatically reduced sentence that sparked riots and led to significant changes in California law. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.