Case Name: Nollie Lee MARTIN, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1987-11-10
Citations: 515 So. 2d 189
Docket Number: No. 71410
Parties: Nollie Lee MARTIN, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: McDonald, C.J., and OVERTON, SHAW and GRIMES, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 515
Pages: 189–194

Head Matter:
Nollie Lee MARTIN, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 71410.
Supreme Court of Florida.
Nov. 10, 1987.
Larry Helm Spalding and Mark E. Olive, Office of the Capital Collateral Representative, Tallahassee, and Julius L. Chambers and Richard H. Burr, III, NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc., New York City, for appellant.
Robert A. Butterworth, Atty. Gen. and Joy B. Shearer, Asst. Atty. Gen., West Palm Beach, for appellee.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Following our opinion regarding Martin's counsel's failure to permit Martin's examination to determine his competency to be executed, Martin v. Dugger, 515 So.2d 185 (Fla.1987), the governor reappointed a panel of three psychiatrists to examine Martin. After the examination, the psychiatrists determined that Martin understood the nature of the death penalty and why it is to be imposed on him. The governor then certified his competency to be executed. See § 922.07, Fla. Stat. (1987). Martin sought review in circuit court pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.811. The court considered written submissions from psychiatric experts on both sides, heard arguments from both sides, called for questioning of one of the psychiatrists appointed by the governor, and found Martin competent to be executed.
On appeal Martin claims he had no notice that an evidentiary hearing would be held; that, because of the lack of notice and the time constraints, the court denied him an opportunity to present his witnesses and yet heard the testimony of a live witness who had examined him at the request of the state; and that the court impermissibly failed to distinguish between a rational and a factual understanding of why the death sentence is to be carried out. We find no merit to these claims.
Two days before the hearing, the judge sent word to the parties that a hearing would be held. Holding an evidentiary hearing under rule 3.811 is discretionary with the trial court. At the beginning of the hearing, the court announced it would listen to and consider anything that either side wished to present. The judge had previously examined all the reports, together with transcripts of the experts' examination of Martin. He stated at the end of the hearing that he was prepared to find Martin competent to be executed without testimony and that the psychiatrist's live testimony did not change that conclusion. The trial judge expressly observed that an evidentiary hearing was not required by the rules. Martin has not shown that he would have presented anything not covered in the submitted papers, and we find no error in not stopping these proceedings so that witnesses could be gathered from distant places to reiterate in person what they had already said on paper.
The rational-versus-factual-understanding argument is based on Dusky v. United States, 362 U.S. 402, 80 S.Ct. 788, 4 L.Ed.2d 824 (1960). Dusky concerned competency to stand trial and held that a defendant should have "sufficient present ability to consult with his lawyer with a reasonable degree of rational understanding" and have "a rational as well as a factual understanding of the proceedings against him." Id. at 402, 80 S.Ct. at 789. Martin's competency to stand trial is not at issue here. We emphasize that the nature of Martin's mental condition is basically the same as was presented and rejected pre-trial on the issue of competency to stand trial. It was also presented and rejected during trial on the issue of his competency at the time of the offense. Further, assuming everything Dr. Lewis says is true, the record clearly shows Martin understands the nature of these proceedings and understands why the death penalty is being imposed on him. Martin admitted in this record his full understanding of these factors.
The papers submitted to and considered by the trial court adequately demonstrate Martin's competency to be executed and support the trial court's ruling. We find the trial court properly applied the necessary factors in determining Martin's competency to be executed. The fact that Martin believes that a satanic conspiracy resulted in his conviction does not override his understanding of why he is being executed. These proceedings are directed only to Martin's competency to be executed, a narrower determination than what is required for competency to stand trial.
We hold that the trial court's determination that Martin understood the nature and effect of the death penalty and why it is to be imposed on him is supported by competent substantial evidence. The trial judge's findings reflect a careful consideration of the matter. The requirements of Ford v. Wainwright, 477 U.S. 399, 106 S.Ct. 2595, 91 L.Ed.2d 335 (1986), have been met. See Johnson v. Cabana, 818 F.2d 333 (5th Cir. 1987). We affirm the trial court's order and dissolve the stay of execution entered by that court effective 7:00 a.m., November 11, 1987.
No petition for rehearing will be entertained.
It is so ordered.
McDonald, C.J., and OVERTON, SHAW and GRIMES, JJ., concur.
EHRLICH and BARKETT, JJ., dissent with an opinion.