Opinion ID: 2045731
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Rieflin's Competency to Stand Trial.

Text: Rieflin's first argument is that expert psychiatric testimony establishes that he is, at this stage in the proceedings, more likely than not incompetent to stand trial, and that the district court's ruling to the contrary is erroneous. We disagree. The criminal trial of an incompetent defendant violates due process. Cooper v. Oklahoma, ___ U.S. ___, ___, 116 S.Ct. 1373, 1376, 134 L.Ed.2d 498, 506 (1996); Edwards, 507 N.W.2d at 395. In Cooper, the Supreme Court stated: Competence to stand trial is rudimentary, for upon it depends the main part of those rights deemed essential to a fair trial, including the right to effective assistance of counsel, the rights to summon, to confront, and to cross-examine witnesses, and the right to testify on one's own behalf or to remain silent without penalty for doing so. Cooper, ___ U.S. at ___, 116 S.Ct. at 1376, 134 L.Ed.2d at 506 (quoting Drope v. Missouri, 420 U.S. 162, 171-72, 95 S.Ct. 896, 903-04, 43 L.Ed.2d 103, 113 (1975)). The basic test for competence to stand trial is whether the defendant has the present ability to understand the charges against him or her and communicate effectively with defense counsel. Id. at ___, 116 S.Ct. at 1384, 134 L.Ed.2d at 515; Mann, 512 N.W.2d at 531. There is a presumption that a defendant is competent to stand trial, and a defendant has the burden of proving his or her incompetence by a preponderance of the evidence. Cooper, ___ U.S. at ___, 116 S.Ct. at 1377, 134 L.Ed.2d at 506; Mann, 512 N.W.2d at 531. If the evidence is in equilibrium, the presumption of competency prevails. Jones, 479 N.W.2d at 270. Further, once a defendant is found competent, the presumption of competency continues until contrary evidence is produced. Aswegan, 331 N.W.2d at 96. If a defendant's competency comes into question, Iowa Code section 812.3 provides the procedure a district court must follow. Edwards, 507 N.W.2d at 395. The statute provides: If at any stage of a criminal proceeding it reasonably appears that the defendant is suffering from a mental disorder which prevents the defendant from appreciating the charge, understanding the proceedings, or assisting effectively in the defense, further proceedings must be suspended and a hearing had upon that question. Iowa Code § 812.3. In other words, Iowa Code section 812.3 requires a competency hearing if the record contains information from which a reasonable person would believe a substantial question of defendant's competency exists. Mann, 512 N.W.2d at 531. We have stated that the relevant factors in determining whether a section 812.3 hearing should be held include (1) defendant's irrational behavior, (2) any demeanor at trial that suggests a competency problem, and (3) any prior medical opinion on the defendant's competency to stand trial. Edwards, 507 N.W.2d at 395; State v. Myers, 460 N.W.2d 458, 460 (Iowa 1990). In applying these factors, the district court judge must decide whether the defendant has a present ability to (1) appreciate the charge, (2) understand the proceedings, and (3) assist effectively in the defense. Iowa Code § 812.3; Edwards, 507 N.W.2d at 395. A history of mental illness, standing alone, does not mean the defendant is incompetent. Edwards, 507 N.W.2d at 395. We believe substantial evidence supports the district court's ruling that Rieflin is competent to stand trial. Rogers was the first person to examine Rieflin, and he diagnosed Rieflin with paranoid schizophrenia and depression. Despite Rieflin's mental problems, Rogers noted in his psychological assessment report that Rieflin answered questions in a forthright manner, was of average intelligence, and scored well above average in the area of abstract, verbal reasoning. Lara and Loeffelholz were the next persons to evaluate Rieflin. They performed various tests and examinations at Oakdale and gave him drug therapy for his anxieties and depression. In their report, Lara and Loeffelholz concluded Rieflin was competent to stand trial, stating: He was fully oriented, coherent and relevant, with detached and flat affect.... On psychological testing he scored a full scale IQ of 115, placing him in the high average range.... Testing administered during this admission revealed that he followed conversations in a logical and coherent way, nor was he confused or disoriented. Finally, Rieflin sought a psychiatric evaluation from Logan. Logan concluded that Rieflin was incompetent to stand trial, stating that he continues to have delusions which affect his perception of the legal proceedings. For example, Logan said that Rieflin believes that demons will attack him but that the jurors will be swayed by the power of God. Despite those statements, Logan testified that Rieflin ... knew the charges that he was facing, he knew the possible penalties, [and] he generally knew the roles of the various officers of the court. Logan also testified that Rieflin generally knows what is happening, he is able to answer questions, and he remembers what happened during the shooting. In addition to those evaluations, the district court judge also heard the testimony of three State witnesses at the second competency hearing. Dolley, the health services administrator at the Linn County Jail, testified that she had been acquainted with Rieflin for over one year and had spoken to him nearly every day she worked. Her observations of Rieflin lasted anywhere from five to thirty minutes each day. Based on her training in psychology and psychiatry, Dolley stated that she had not observed any bizarre behavior by Rieflin since his return from Oakdale, and she had not seen any indication that Rieflin was suffering from delusions. Pospisil, the medical director at the Linn County Jail, testified that his only contact with Rieflin occurred when he lowered Rieflin's medication level. He stated that he had never met Rieflin. Pospisil testified that he had no reason to believe that Rieflin's medication level was inappropriate. The third State witness was Hrmidko, a deputy sheriff at the Linn County Jail. As day shift supervisor, Hrmidko was responsible for reviewing almost everything that occurred on his shift. He testified that there had been no reports of bizarre behavior or delusions by Rieflin. To conclude, the district court did not err in finding Rieflin competent to stand trial. Two competency hearings were held, and each time Rieflin was found to be competent. At the hearings, the district court judge relied on the reports and the testimony of several individuals in concluding that Rieflin could appreciate the charges, understand the proceedings, and assist effectively in his defense.