Opinion ID: 356076
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Competency Report

Text: 19 Appellant's remaining contentions concern the pretrial competency report. He argues that he should have been shown the report prior to the court's considering it. In the alternative, he argues that permitting his first attorney to stipulate to the report after that attorney had asked to be relieved as his counsel was error, and that the report should first have been given to his new counsel. Appellant neither cites nor even suggests any authority for these contentions, and we can find none. 20 18 U.S.C. § 4244 governs the psychiatric examination and evaluation of federal criminal defendants. That statute provides that on the motion of the U.S. Attorney, the defendant, or the court sua sponte, the court shall cause the accused . . . to be examined . . . by at least one qualified psychiatrist, who shall report to the court. (Emphasis added.) The statute further provides that, if the psychiatrist's report indicates a state of present insanity or incompetency, the court shall hold a hearing on the question of the defendant's mental state. 21 Where the psychiatrist's report does not indicate a present state of insanity or incompetency and thus no hearing is required,  'there is no reason to furnish a copy of such report to anyone. The better practice would seem to be not to do so lest it might be brought to the notice of the jury in violation of the statute.'  United States v. Bell, 57 F.R.D. 31, 32 (E.D.Tenn.1972), quoting United States v. Everett, 146 F.Supp. 54, 56 (D.Kan.1956). Accord, United States v. Chaussee, 536 F.2d 637, 641-42 (7th Cir. 1976). 22 Where a hearing is required and the reporting psychiatrist testifies therein, the First Circuit has suggested that his report should be available to both the prosecution and the defense as a basis for their direct and cross examination of him. In re Harmon, 425 F.2d 916, 918 (1st Cir. 1970). However, § 4244 does not require that the reporting psychiatrist testify at the hearing. United States v. Shepard, 538 F.2d 107, 109 (6th Cir. 1976). Thus, disclosure of the report is not necessarily mandated even where the report indicates insanity or incompetency. 23 Certainly, whenever a hearing is held without the testimony of the reporting psychiatrist, or whenever a competency hearing is not required, the decision whether to disclose the psychiatrist's report to the parties rests within the trial court's discretion. That discretion must be exercised with due consideration of the fact that disclosure of the report to the defendant himself may be detrimental to him. In United States v. Moody, 490 F.2d 866, 867 (5th Cir. 1974), the court held that a defendant was properly refused permission to purchase a copy of a deposition of the psychiatrist who had treated him because it will be for (his) benefit and mental well being . . . in that he might be affected adversely by having access. For the same reason the Fifth Circuit has held that a defendant can be excluded from his own competency hearing. Johnson v. United States, 293 F.2d 100, 102 (5th Cir. 1961). 24 Similarly, while the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure do not expressly regulate the disclosure of competency reports to a defendant or his counsel, there is a helpful analogy in Fed.R.Crim.P. 32(c)(3) governing disclosure of presentence reports. That rule requires disclosure only upon request of the defendant or his counsel, and recognizes the discretion of the court to withhold information that might result in harm to the defendant or other persons. 25 In this case, the psychiatrist's report did not indicate a present state of insanity or incompetency, and thus neither a hearing nor disclosure of the report to anyone was required. The court, nonetheless, did disclose the competency report to both the Government and counsel for appellant, and held a competency hearing as well. The record clearly shows that appellant's first lawyer found nothing objectionable in the competency report. Furthermore, the court personally addressed appellant at his competency hearing concerning his evaluation of the report, and he replied only that he had not read it, making no request of the court or his attorneys to see it. Both his first and second attorneys were then present, and neither requested that appellant be shown the report. Appellant's second lawyer did not then request to see the report himself; nor, having read it after the competency hearing, did he object to the use of the report to determine appellant's competency at any later point in the course of the trial, although the court's duty to evaluate a defendant's competency continues throughout the proceedings. In light of these facts and the considerations that must influence a decision to disclose the competency report, including the likelihood of injury to the defendant from access to it, we think the court was well within its discretion in ruling on appellant's competency without first offering the report to appellant or his second attorney absent any request to do so. 3 26 Appellant's claim is thus reduced to a challenge to the trial court's finding of competency in reliance on the psychiatrist's report. Such a finding is one of fact which may not be set aside on review unless it is clearly erroneous. See United States v. Shepard, 538 F.2d 107, 110 (6th Cir. 1976); United States v. Fratus, 530 F.2d 644, 647 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 429 U.S. 846, 97 S.Ct. 130, 50 L.Ed.2d 118 (1976); United States v. Irvin, 450 F.2d 968, 971 (9th Cir. 1971) (dissenting opinion); In re Harmon, 425 F.2d 916, 918 (1st Cir. 1970); Hall v. United States, 410 F.2d 653, 658 (4th Cir.), cert. denied, 396 U.S. 970, 90 S.Ct. 455, 24 L.Ed.2d 436 (1969); Feguer v. United States, 302 F.2d 214, 236 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 371 U.S. 872, 83 S.Ct. 123, 9 L.Ed.2d 110 (1962). The testimony of medical experts on the issue is only one factor. See United States v. Horowitz, 360 F.Supp. 772, 777 (E.D.Pa.1973). No objection to the substance of the report was made at any time below, and there is no basis whatsoever for a finding on appeal that the trial court's determination of appellant's competency was clearly erroneous. 27 Therefore, we find appellant's objections involving the competency report to be without merit. 28 AFFIRMED.