The following section provides a brief overview of Virginia's law regarding the disposition of insanity acquittees. Proceedings on Question of Insanity.Virginia prohibits the use of mental health evidence in noninsanity cases. Schmuhl intends to assert at trial that his mental state at the time of the offense met the legal standard for insanity, and intends to. NGRI, sometimes called the "insanity defense," is where the Court can find a person not guilty if their mental health was impaired at the time of the crime. In Virginia, the insanity defense is infrequently used and rarely successful. The insanity defense exists to make that distinction for people with a mental disability. A defendant who intends to assert a defense of insanity at the time of the alleged offense must so notify an attorney for the government in writing. Tod Burke, a retired professor and member of law enforcement, said the insanity defense is rare. According to the Virginia Dept.