Opinion ID: 3003989
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Incompetence To Be Executed

Text: Finally, Corcoran claimed he should not be executed because he suffers from a mental illness. Indeed, the Constitution prohibits the execution of a prisoner who is insane. Ford v. Wainwright, 477 U.S. 399, 410 (1986); see also Panetti v. Quarterman, 551 U.S. 930 (2007). But Corcoran must raise the argument of his incompetence to be executed in Indiana’s state courts before he can do so here. 28 U.S.C. § 2254(b)(1). Indeed, Corcoran made no claim that Indiana lacks an effective process to comply with Ford v. Wainwright. To the contrary, Indiana permits additional post-conviction review on Ford claims “after the usual channels of appeal have been exhausted.” Baird v. State, 833 N.E.2d 28, 29 (Ind. 2005); see also Ind. PostConviction Rule 1(12) (allowing a successive habeas petition “if the petitioner establishes a reasonable probability that the petitioner is entitled to post-conviction relief”). Therefore, his Ford claim is unripe. Nos. 07-2093 and 07-2182 15