Was it worth it?

Andrea Yates has been found not guilty by reason of insanity in the drowning deaths of her five young children. No doubt many pundits, like Andy Cohen of the Washington Post, will find this verdict a victory for both compassion and common sense.

We agree but also ask an additional question – why was this trial necessary at all? The possibility of a capitol sentence was eliminated in the first trial. Hundreds of thousands – if not millions – of public dollars were expended determining whether Andrea Yates would spend her next guilt-ridden years in a jail or a locked psychiatric facility.