White Collar Crime
Slang for a claim by criminal defendants that at the time of the crime, they were suffering from a mental impairment (short of insanity) caused by intoxication, disease, or trauma, which prevented them from having the mental state required to hold them responsible for the crime. the phrase arose from the defense argued successfully by dan white, charged with murdering san francisco mayor george moscone and supervisor harvey milk. white claimed that the sugar high resulting from eating “twinkie” cupcakes made it impossible for him to form the intent necessary for a murder conviction. white was convicted of manslaughter instead of murder. (see also: criminal insanity)
