Mentally competent for trial

Louisiana, U. In Atkins v. Wainwright, U. The Court quoted this language again in Schriro v. Smith , determining that the Ninth Circuit exceeded its authority in holding that Arizona courts were required to conduct a jury trial to resolve a defendant's claim that he was ineligible for the death penalty because of intellectual disability.

Issues of substantive due process may arise if the government seeks to compel the medication of a person found to be incompetent to stand trial. In Washington v. Harper , 17 Footnote U. In Sell v. United States , 18 Footnote U. First, however, the government must engage in a fact-specific inquiry as to whether this interest is important in a particular case.

Second, the court must find that the treatment is likely to render the defendant competent to stand trial without resulting in side effects that will interfere with the defendant's ability to assist counsel.

Third, the court must find that less intrusive treatments are unlikely to achieve substantially the same results. Comments 0. Top Stories. Oath Keepers leader arrested on charge of seditious conspiracy involving Jan. Thousands of federal inmates to be released under law Jan 13, AM. Supreme Court blocks Biden vaccine-or-test mandate for large businesses 2 hours ago.

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An earlier evaluation found Alissa was not mentally competent, but prosecutors asked for a second evaluation to be conducted. Competency issues have also delayed the prosecution of a man accused of killing three people in a attack on a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs.

Robert Dear was repeatedly found incompetent to proceed in his state case. Federal prosecutors then charged him in , but the competency issue has continued to delay the case in federal court. Main Menu U.