Opinion ID: 867478
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Application of the Wrong Standard

Text: ¶ 50 Moody claims that the trial judge applied the wrong standard in adjudicating him competent to stand trial. He notes that the standard for competency under Dusky v. United States, 362 U.S. 402, 80 S.Ct. 788, 4 L.Ed.2d 824 (1960), is two-pronged: The court must be satisfied (1) that the defendant has a sufficient present ability to consult with his lawyer with a reasonable degree of rational understanding and (2) that he has a rational as well as factual understanding of the proceedings against him. Moody claims that the trial court applied only the second part of that standard and ignored whether he had the ability to assist counsel when it denied his motion for a Rule 11 hearing. Moody bases his argument on the trial judge's statement that Moody knows who his lawyer is, he knows who the judge is, he certainly knows who Mr. White is, and he knows what he's charged with. ¶ 51 This argument suffers from the same misunderstanding that doomed Moody's previous claim, namely, the failure to distinguish between a determination of whether reasonable grounds exist to justify a competency hearing and findings following an actual competency hearing. The cited statement was made in response to Moody's motion for a Rule 11 hearing. Thus, it was clearly a statement of reasonable grounds, not an adjudication of competency. ¶ 52 Because this statement did not resolve an adjudication of competency, the incomplete rendition of the competency standard does not by itself require reversal. Rather, the critical inquiry is whether the trial court actually applied the correct standard in determining that reasonable grounds did not exist to call for a competency hearing. See, e.g., State v. Borbon, 146 Ariz. 392, 395, 706 P.2d 718, 721 (1985). Reasonable grounds exist if there is sufficient evidence to indicate that the defendant is not able to understand the nature of the proceedings against him and to assist in his defense. State v. Salazar, 128 Ariz. 461, 462, 626 P.2d 1093, 1094 (1981). ¶ 53 We presume that a court is aware of the relevant law and applies it correctly in arriving at its rulings. See Medrano, 185 Ariz. at 196, 914 P.2d at 229. After reviewing a report from Dr. Goldberg stating that Moody was unable to reliably and consistently assist his counsel at this time (emphasis in original), the trial judge confess[ed] to having some concerns at this point about the record on competence. Because Dr. Goldberg's report was focused on Moody's inability to consistently assist counsel, the trial judge's concerns about competency after reading that report show that he was aware of the relevant standard. In light of this record, and the presumption that the trial judge is aware of the proper standard on competency, we cannot agree with Moody's argument that the trial court's lone statement in denying a motion for a Rule 11 hearing constitutes reversible error. See id. (rejecting a defendant's argument that the trial judge based his decision on inappropriate considerations, finding that the remainder of the record showed that the court was aware of and correctly applied the relevant law).