Opinion ID: 1441974
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: The Competency Standard to Be Used When a Defendant Seeks the Death Penalty.

Text: Having determined that it is generally permissible for a defendant to plead guilty to a capital offense in order to seek the death penalty and having determined that Chapman's plea is not state-assisted suicide, we now must determine whether the specific plea at issue in this case passes constitutional muster. In order to make that assessment, Chapman argues that we (and any court presiding over a case in which a defendant desires to plead guilty in order to seek the death penalty) are required to apply the heightened competency standard set forth by the United States Supreme Court in Rees v. Peyton. [69] In Rees, a death-sentenced Rees sought habeas corpus relief, which was denied by the trial and appellate courts. Rees then consented to his attorney's filing a petition for certiorari, but he later asked his attorney to withdraw the certiorari petition. Rees was then subjected to psychiatric evaluations, after which one psychiatrist opined that he was incompetent, while other psychiatrists were unable conclusively to offer an opinion due to Rees's lack of cooperation. Those psychiatrists expressed doubts that Rees was insane. [70] Before deciding whether Rees's certiorari petition should be dismissed, the Supreme Court remanded the matter to the district court to issue a report concerning Rees's competence. The Supreme Court ordered the district court to determine Rees'[s] mental competence in the present posture of things, that is, whether he has capacity to appreciate his position and make a rational choice with respect to continuing or abandoning further litigation or on the other hand whether he is suffering from a mental disease, disorder, or defect which may substantially affect his capacity in the premises. [71] We agree that Rees is the standard of competency the trial courts of this Commonwealth must use when a defendant desires to plead guilty, waive jury sentencing and presentation of mitigation evidence, and asks the trial court to be sentenced to death. Although Rees involved the abandonment of post-conviction proceedings and Chapman's request is pre-trial, this is essentially a distinction without a difference. Pursuant to a guilty plea, the standard would be whether he has capacity to appreciate his position and make a rational choice with respect to [pleading guilty, waiving jury sentencing, waiving mitigating evidence, and seeking the death penalty] or on the other hand whether he is suffering from a mental disease, disorder, or defect which may substantially affect his capacity in the premises.