I think what makes this a bunch of BS is the quote “In the weeks preceding May 4, 2009, Woody Smith told Noelker, he hadn’t been sleeping, in part out of fear his wife would take their two children and leave him”.
Obviously there is more to the story than some random caffeine overdose – as usual, IJ leaves out a lot of background info. And besides, what’s this got to do with insurance?
Personally, I agree this is just another attempt by a cowardly scumbag and his scumbag attorney to avoid the consequences of his act. Even IF a jury is stupid enough to buy this sack of crap defense, it can’t ignore the facts. He murdered his wife. His alleged altered state was conveniently temporary. I he never had a previous episode of turning into an idiot from caffeine, I say fry him.
So haivng more than 3 Cups of coffee means someone is overdosing on Caffiene? Applying the logic of this article, that would mean a lot of people I work with are so close to the edge of flipping out and killing people if they are not getting enough sleep at night.
Judge, I am an insurance agent and I killed my husband because I drink coffee all day long and energy drinks in the afternnon. By the way, I have been taking diet pills to lose weight!
Help me not be responsible for my actions!!!!
You are right Insurance Geek, What does this have to do with insurance anyway? Is he planning to sue Coke, Red Bull and the diet pill manufacturer?????
Insurance implication if found innocent: opens door even more for use of caffiene overdose claims – can liability claims be brought against coffee shop barristas? or against the neighbor who insisted I have another cup of coffee? Has potential to raise liability costs.
If found guilty: partially closes door on usefulness of defense in the future. Sends message that insurance won’t necessarily pay for claims related to caffiene OD. Has potential to lower liability costs, but likely have no impact.
Hello!? You can’t sleep…but you’re drinking tons of coffee & energy drinks?? This guy should be locked up just to stop him from further polluting the gene pool.
What a joke..this lawyer has apparently overdosed on stupidity. The one successful case of using caffeine overdose as a defense, while shocking that it actually worked, hardly compares to this guy in KY intentionally strangling and killing his wife with an extension cord. The other guy ran over a few random people in a car after being cranked up on coffee, not that caffeine is the culprit in that case either. Just sayin..
Does anyone remember back in the 1970’s when San Francisco Supervisor Dan White went on a killing rampage and assasinated then-Mayor George Moscone and Supvervisor Harvey Milk?? He said that the Twinkies had eaten earlier made him do it… sugar high, I guess….it didn’t work…they guy was convicted, served some time, released then comitted suicide…what a tragedy all the way around!!
The reason why this is in IJ? Perhaps the wife had a life insurance policy? We don’t know because the article doesn’t say this. This also can set a precedent.
Since I’m not up on L & D, if the wife did have life insurance and he is found innocent of the charges, won’t the life insurance company have to pay?
This is just another excuse to not taking personal responsibility. I drink 4 -5 cups of coffee a day but thought being in insurance was what made me insane – :-)
I OD’d on caffeine back in college – 4 diet cokes, 3 red bulls, 4 turbo truffels (equal to one cup of coffee) and all I ate that day were a few crackers.
I shook, I talked a mile a minute, my legs were twitching w/o any way to stop it. But I didn’t go postal on anyone.
And if you’re dumb enough to take a bunch of caffeine and wonder why you’re not sleeping, then you’re an idiot.
Agree w/the poster who mentioned why did he tie her up after he killed her, where could she go?
Wouldn’t the defense have to establish this is the first time in his life that he ever drank caffeine? Because if he usually drinks that much caffeine, why just now is he having an adverse effect to it? And I just don’t by the whole diet pill bit. I would be surprised if he were truly taking them.
Also, if he were suffering from insomnia due to the caffeine…it’s nice that he could lay down and take a nap in the middle of the mayhem!!
I think what makes this a bunch of BS is the quote “In the weeks preceding May 4, 2009, Woody Smith told Noelker, he hadn’t been sleeping, in part out of fear his wife would take their two children and leave him”.
Obviously there is more to the story than some random caffeine overdose – as usual, IJ leaves out a lot of background info. And besides, what’s this got to do with insurance?
Personally, I agree this is just another attempt by a cowardly scumbag and his scumbag attorney to avoid the consequences of his act. Even IF a jury is stupid enough to buy this sack of crap defense, it can’t ignore the facts. He murdered his wife. His alleged altered state was conveniently temporary. I he never had a previous episode of turning into an idiot from caffeine, I say fry him.
So haivng more than 3 Cups of coffee means someone is overdosing on Caffiene? Applying the logic of this article, that would mean a lot of people I work with are so close to the edge of flipping out and killing people if they are not getting enough sleep at night.
Judge, I am an insurance agent and I killed my husband because I drink coffee all day long and energy drinks in the afternnon. By the way, I have been taking diet pills to lose weight!
Help me not be responsible for my actions!!!!
You are right Insurance Geek, What does this have to do with insurance anyway? Is he planning to sue Coke, Red Bull and the diet pill manufacturer?????
Insurance implication if found innocent: opens door even more for use of caffiene overdose claims – can liability claims be brought against coffee shop barristas? or against the neighbor who insisted I have another cup of coffee? Has potential to raise liability costs.
If found guilty: partially closes door on usefulness of defense in the future. Sends message that insurance won’t necessarily pay for claims related to caffiene OD. Has potential to lower liability costs, but likely have no impact.
Hello!? You can’t sleep…but you’re drinking tons of coffee & energy drinks?? This guy should be locked up just to stop him from further polluting the gene pool.
I always thought I had to be crazy to be in this business – now I know why, too much dammed coffee!
What a joke..this lawyer has apparently overdosed on stupidity. The one successful case of using caffeine overdose as a defense, while shocking that it actually worked, hardly compares to this guy in KY intentionally strangling and killing his wife with an extension cord. The other guy ran over a few random people in a car after being cranked up on coffee, not that caffeine is the culprit in that case either. Just sayin..
Does anyone remember back in the 1970’s when San Francisco Supervisor Dan White went on a killing rampage and assasinated then-Mayor George Moscone and Supvervisor Harvey Milk?? He said that the Twinkies had eaten earlier made him do it… sugar high, I guess….it didn’t work…they guy was convicted, served some time, released then comitted suicide…what a tragedy all the way around!!
The reason why this is in IJ? Perhaps the wife had a life insurance policy? We don’t know because the article doesn’t say this. This also can set a precedent.
Since I’m not up on L & D, if the wife did have life insurance and he is found innocent of the charges, won’t the life insurance company have to pay?
Not sure about insurance related…I’m trying to figure out why he bound her hands and feet after he strangled her. Where did he think she was going???
Let’s not blame IJ for this one, guys…..
This is just another excuse to not taking personal responsibility. I drink 4 -5 cups of coffee a day but thought being in insurance was what made me insane – :-)
I really don’t think this could be the case….a G/L issue with the Baristas or heaven forbid….the coffee shop??? I think you are over-reaching here…..
ITS GEORGE BUSH’S FAULT!
Intake should have been regulated.
I OD’d on caffeine back in college – 4 diet cokes, 3 red bulls, 4 turbo truffels (equal to one cup of coffee) and all I ate that day were a few crackers.
I shook, I talked a mile a minute, my legs were twitching w/o any way to stop it. But I didn’t go postal on anyone.
And if you’re dumb enough to take a bunch of caffeine and wonder why you’re not sleeping, then you’re an idiot.
Agree w/the poster who mentioned why did he tie her up after he killed her, where could she go?
This is asinine.
Also, if the caffine defense worked in the WA auto case, did the auto liability carrier have to pay medical?
“The trail of Woody Will Smith, 33, was schedueld to open this wee on a murder charge in the May 2009 death of Amanda Hornsby-Smith, 28.”
3 misspelled words in one sentence.. nice!
Well…he did say he was temporarily crazy–I mean, “insane!”
Wouldn’t the defense have to establish this is the first time in his life that he ever drank caffeine? Because if he usually drinks that much caffeine, why just now is he having an adverse effect to it? And I just don’t by the whole diet pill bit. I would be surprised if he were truly taking them.
Also, if he were suffering from insomnia due to the caffeine…it’s nice that he could lay down and take a nap in the middle of the mayhem!!
at least I think so, I’m more apt to kill someone if I haven’t had my coffee then if I’ve been drinking too much of the stuff.
Do all hill-billies have three names??
Pretty sure that most people have a first middle and last name, although I wouldn’t bet on too many being named “Woody Will”
The Twinkie Defense worked – he only got convicted on voluntary manslaughter, only a slap on the wrist for taking two people’s lives