▁King ▁George ▁III . ▁ ▁Background ▁Before ▁ 1 8 0 0 , ▁if ▁a ▁def endant ▁was ▁acqu itted ▁on ▁the ▁grounds ▁of ▁ins an ity , ▁he ▁was ▁simply ▁allowed ▁to ▁go ▁free ▁because ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁law ▁in ▁place ▁that ▁allowed ▁the ▁government ▁to ▁det ain ▁him . ▁If ▁the ▁judge ▁pres iding ▁over ▁the ▁case ▁thought ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁dangerous ▁to ▁release ▁the ▁def endant ▁and ▁wanted ▁him ▁det ained , ▁a ▁separate ▁civil ▁commit ment ▁hearing ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁held ▁before ▁the ▁person ▁could ▁be ▁in car cer ated . ▁In ▁some ▁cases , ▁the ▁authorities ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁V ag ran cy ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 7 4 4 ▁to ▁conf ine ▁crim inals , ▁but ▁in ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁cases ▁the ▁defend ants ▁were ▁sent ▁home ▁or ▁put ▁into ▁the ▁care ▁of ▁their ▁family . ▁ ▁Because ▁a ▁r uling ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁a ▁ple a ▁of ▁ins an ity ▁was ▁basically ▁equ ated ▁with ▁a ▁ver dict ▁of ▁not ▁guilty , ▁it ▁was ▁generally ▁very ▁difficult ▁to ▁obtain . ▁ ▁The ▁cons ensus ▁among ▁law ▁officials ▁of ▁the ▁time ▁was ▁that ▁mad ness ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁" ob vious ▁and ▁over wh el ming " ▁before ▁a ▁ple a ▁of ▁ins an ity ▁would ▁be ▁accepted ▁as ▁a ▁defence . ▁ ▁If ▁it ▁could ▁be ▁successfully ▁argued ▁that ▁a ▁lun atic ▁committed ▁a ▁crime ▁during ▁a ▁brief ▁moment ▁of ▁san ity , ▁then ▁it ▁was ▁considered ▁acceptable ▁to ▁conv ict ▁the ▁def