You’ve heard the sad story. Andrea Yates, the Houston mother who drowned her five children, one by one, in the family bathtub.

You’ve probably even seen the portrait of the Yates family that includes all but the youngest daughter. The faces of the four boys couldn’t look happier. The picture portrays your classic “family next door” photo, but looks can be deceiving.

On the morning of June 20, Yates drowned Luke, 2; Paul, 3; John, 5; Mary, 6 months, and Noah, 7; in that order. She then telephoned police, summoned them to her house and gave a statement.

The public, including myself, was awestruck with emotions when the news hit. Some people were filled with rage, while others felt immediate support for Yates and her condition.

On Tuesday, the Harris County courtroom cut down 120 citizens to form the 12-person jury to decide whether Yates is fit to stand trial. The jury will decide Yates’ competency, in which she would proceed to another trial or undergo medical treatment.

The constant media pressure surrounding Yates since June had to prove challenging when it came down to finding 12 jurors who could forget what they have heard about Yates and her mental state.

I see the media as playing too large a role in the case. I don’t hold the media accountable for doing their jobs, I just see them as having a direct effect on the juror’s opinions.

It is highly unlikely that jurors could simply deny what they have previously heard. These same thoughts could easily linger through the jurors’ heads when it comes down to making a decision.

Yates has over two years worth of medical records including several hospitalizations for hearing voices in her head, severe depression, homicidal thoughts, psychosis and suicide attempts.

In June 1999, unable to bear countless voices in her head, Yates scratched at her throat with a steak knife in a failed attempt to cut her carotid artery.

Yates should be looked at by psychiatry professionals, psychology professionals and medical professionals in order to receive a complete evaluation.

Yet, a jury will decide whether Yates is mentally competent to stand trial. That is, whether she understands the proceedings against her and is able to assist the lawyers preparing her defense.

Not surprisingly, her lawyers say she is not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecutors have charged her with murder and are seeking the death penalty, shifting the family murder case into a public debate over mental illness, sanity and the appropriate use of the death penalty.

But proving Yates was mentally ill does not necessarily mean that she was insane. Insanity is a legal term, not a medical one. Insanity refers to whether a defendant will be held criminally responsible for their actions.

Yates has a past full of problems and they aren’t going to get easier for her anytime soon. The odds are against Yates as the insanity defense is extraordinarily difficult to prove. I hope justice is served through a fair trial.