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On April 14, 2022, the Morris County Superior Court ruled that the dressage trainer and ex-Olympian, Michael Barisone, was not guilty of all counts filed against him. This included charges of attempted murder in the 2019 Lauren Kanarek shooting case.
After almost 18 hours of deliberations, a 12-person jury in Morris County declared that Barisone was not guilty of shooting his trainee Kanarek.
Lauren, who was shot twice in the chest at point-blank range, was the victim of an attempted murder, and the jury declared Barisone not guilty by reason of insanity. He was cleared of the same accusation that included her fiance Robert Goodwin, who was supposedly the intended victim of the third bullet that Barisone fired but missed.
On Saturday, 48 Hours on CBS will revisit the 2019 shooting of Lauren Kanarek by her coach and landlord Michael Barisone and the subsequent high-profile trial in its upcoming episode. The episode, titled The Shooting of Lauren Kanarek, is slated to air on September 17, 2022, at 10 pm ET.
Let's explore the charges filed against Barisone and the grounds on which he was ultimately acquitted ahead of the episode premiere.
What is the meaning of "not guilty by reason of insanity" in Michael Barisone's high-profile trial?
In a criminal prosecution, a defendant may enter a plea of "not guilty by reason of insanity," and argue that due to their unstable mental condition, they lacked the necessary intent to perpetrate the crime. The defendant might also argue that they were incapable of comprehending what they were doing when the crime was committed. Thus, they can claim that they aren't guilty of the charges filed against them.
According to the Bouvier Law Dictionary, pleading not guilty due to insanity is equivalent to acknowledging that the defendant committed a crime but rejecting culpability because the defendant lacked the mental capability to do so at the time.
Additionally, a jury verdict in a criminal case may also state that the defendant is insane and cannot be found guilty. In such a case, the verdict will be followed by the defendant being admitted into a mental institution.
The idea of mens rea (literally from Latin 'guilty mind') pertains to the defense of "not guilty by reason of insanity." According to this theory, a defendant may argue that since they lacked the necessary mens rea at the time of the offense, i.e., their insanity absolved them of responsibility for the crime, they were not guilty of the offense.
Michael Barisone's was acquitted of all charges on the grounds of insanity
Michael Barisone, a former equestrian, was declared not guilty by a 12-member jury in April 2022 by reason of insanity in the shooting of Lauren Kanarek and her fiancé Rob Goodwin. Additionally, he was found not guilty of two counts of aggravated assault and use of a weapon against Goodwin and Kanarek. The judge declared that he must be legally admitted to a mental health hospital.
The defense maintained that Kanarek's intense effort to terrify Barisone out of his mind, in person and on social media ultimately made him snap, which resulted in the shooting. The medical professional who evaluated Barisone for the defense claimed that due to Kanarek's Facebook posts, the accused had grown paranoid and believed that Kanarek was listening in on his private talks.
Lauren Kanarek's lawyer Bruce Nagel reportedly made a statement after hearing the verdict, saying:
"This verdict is a gross miscarriage of justice."
After the verdict in Michael Barisone's trial, the office of Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll released a statement and said:
"While disappointed with the outcome, in keeping with our commitment to the integrity of the criminal justice system, the verdict must be respected. I acknowledge the case has elicited strong opinions when it comes to how the public views the defendant and victims in this matter, and I ask that the public respect the jury members and their decision."
Learn more about the controversial trial of former esqueterian Michael Barisone in connection to Lauren Kanarek's 2019 shooting on CBS 48 Hours this Saturday, September 17, 2022.
