Support Donna’s Law: Reform the Insanity Defense in Murder Cases
We’re calling on lawmakers in New Jersey—and across the United States—to pass Donna’s Law, a vital reform to protect victims’ rights and bring balance back to our criminal justice system.

⚖️ What Is Donna’s Law?
Donna’s Law would change the legal terminology in murder cases from "Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity" to "Guilty by Reason of Insanity."

This isn’t just a change in words—it’s a change in accountability.

Right now, when someone is found “Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity” (NGRI), victims and their families lose basic rights. The verdict implies that no crime legally occurred, which means families are often denied access to updates, excluded from hearings, and shut out of decisions about the person who took their loved one’s life.

Donna’s Law would restore justice by:

Legally acknowledging the harm and trauma inflicted by violent offenders
Preserving victims’ rights to information and participation in the legal process
Ensuring lifelong supervision of individuals found criminally insane
Reinforcing the distinction between mental illness and criminal insanity

 

📈 Why This Matters: It’s Bigger Than One Case
While most defendants found NGRI receive treatment, there are serious flaws in how the system handles violent offenders:

In the U.S., insanity pleas are rare—but when used, they’re successful up to 25% of the time in some jurisdictions.
Studies have shown that many NGRI defendants are eventually released—some in as little as a few years, even after committing murder.
Victims’ families are often given no notice of release or transfer, losing their voice in the process entirely.
This is not about punishing mental illness—it’s about making sure the law doesn’t erase the reality of violent crime.

💔 My Story: Why I’m Fighting for Donna’s Law
My name is Tina, and I was just two years old when my mother, Donna Litchfield, was murdered.

Her boyfriend at the time, Stephen Moore, stabbed her to death just one day after she ended their relationship. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

But then he escaped from prison. After being on the run for five years, he turned himself in—not to prison, but to a mental institution.

Eventually, his sentence was overturned. He was found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity, and now lives in a private mental health facility.

Because of that verdict, I’ve lost all rights. I can’t get updates. I can’t attend hearings. I don’t even know if or when he might be released. It’s as if my mother’s murder never happened.

All because the system calls him "Not Guilty."

🛑 We Must Close This Dangerous Loophole
Donna’s Law isn’t about retribution. It’s about:

Recognizing the reality of violent acts
Protecting the rights of families
Ensuring public safety
Providing treatment with accountability
This law will make sure that people who commit heinous crimes—and are found to be criminally insane—are both treated and held responsible under the law.

📢 Take Action Now
Help us pass Donna’s Law in New Jersey—and inspire similar legislation nationwide.

✅ Sign this petition
✅ Share it with your network
✅ Contact your local representatives
✅ Use hashtags:
#DonnasLaw #JusticeForDonna #VictimsRights #GuiltyByReasonOfInsanity #ReformInsanityDefense

Together, we can reform a system that silences victims and protects violent offenders. Justice must reflect both compassion and accountability.

Let’s make sure no other family is erased by a verdict that ignores the truth.