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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Mom May Plead Insanity

Compiled From Wire Services

A prosecutor accused Susan Smith’s lawyer Friday of coaching her for an insanity defense in the drowning of her two young sons.

“In essence, she has spent three months in insanity training, in insanity school,” Prosecutor Tommy Pope told Circuit Judge William Howard.

Smith’s attorney, David Bruck, denied the allegation, which Pope made in asking the court to order a psychological examination for Smith.

Circuit Court Judge William Howard put off ruling until Feb. 28, and told Bruck he must decide by then whether he will pursue an insanity defense.

Smith, 23, has been jailed since Nov. 3, when she confessed to letting her car roll into a lake with her two boys, 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alex, inside. For nine days she had said they were kidnapped by a carjacker.