Plea To Shooting Dj: Guilty But Ill Attorneys Said The Defendant Was Not Insane During The City Ave. Attack. She Gave Up Her Right To A Trial.

A person is declared legally insane if he or she does not understand the consequences of his or her actions and cannot differentiate between right and wrong.

In Edwards' case, said Assistant District Attorney Wendy Demchick-Alloy, ``she understood the consequences and the difference between right and wrong, but she was suffering from a mental illness that may have propelled her to do this.''

The West Philadelphia woman has no criminal record, and it has been unclear in Edwards' statements to police why she shot the popular disc jockey.

Brown could not be reached for comment. Station employees said at the preliminary hearing in May that Edwards had often called the radio station to speak to Brown and regularly attended promotional events when Brown would be present. However, police have no record of harassment.

``[Edwards'] assessment of the situation was not reality-based,'' said Demchick-Alloy. ``But her actions speak louder than words.''

Demchick-Alloy said she would seek a severe punishment for Edwards, who is scheduled to be sentenced next month.

In fact, under old sentencing guidelines, the penalty for aggravated assault is stiffer than for attempted murder. So attorneys for both sides have agreed that Edwards will be sentenced for aggravated assault in February.

Edwards may serve part of her sentence in a maximum-security mental hospital. For now, though, she remains at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility on a $50,000 cash bond.