Opinion ID: 2161403
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Sanity Determination.

Text: On the day of trial, Mr. Cullen's counsel moved for an examination of his client's sanity to determine if he was competent to stand trial. The court was advised of certain unusual conduct on the part of Mr. Cullen while he was in jail awaiting trial and thereupon ordered an examination by  a medical doctor. Subsequently, the court received the doctor's testimony and concluded that Mr. Cullen was sane and able to proceed to trial. It is now urged that the court should have appointed a psychiatrist instead of a general practitioner. It is contended that the doctor's medical examination lasted only twenty minutes and that his testimony showed that he did not delve into the correct tests and criteria for determining sanity. Counsel has presented no authority to support his claim that the physician appointed must be a psychiatrist. We do not regard sec. 51.01 (2), Stats., as controlling in the instant case. In our opinion, the appointment of a physician engaged in general practice was lawful under sec. 957.13 (1), which authorizes the trial court to conduct a summary inquiry. We believe that, from a reading of the aforesaid section of the statutes and the alternative section, sec. 957.27 (3), it is apparent that the legislature intended to impose broad discretion upon the trial judge in determining mental capacity to stand trial. In Crocker v. State (1884), 60 Wis. 553, 557, 19 N. W. 435, it was held that the method of making inquisition is left to the discretion of the court. There is a presumption of sanity in Wisconsin which must be overcome by credible evidence. State v. Schweider (1959), 5 Wis. (2d) 627, 636, 94 N. W. (2d) 154; State v. Vinson (1955), 269 Wis. 305, 68 N. W. (2d) 712, 70 N. W. (2d) 1. In the instant case, we find no abuse of discretion on the part of the trial court in its conclusions or in the manner it reached them. The evidence does not establish that the presumption of sanity was overcome or that it was necessary to hospitalize Mr. Cullen for further observation. Neither the length of the examination nor the testimony of the medical doctor warranted a conclusion that the trial court erred. Wilson v. State (1956), 273 Wis. 522, 529, 78 N. W. (2d) 917.