Opinion ID: 776169
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Feasibility of retrospective competency hearing.

Text: 21 Due process mandates that a state provide adequate procedures to prevent prosecuting an incompetent criminal defendant. See, e.g., Medina v. California, 505 U.S. 437, 449, 453 (1992). Although retrospective competency hearings are disfavored, they are permissible whenever a court can conduct a meaningful hearing to evaluate retrospectively the defendant's competency. Clayton v. Gibson, 199 F.3d 1162, 1169 (10th Cir. 1999) (quotation omitted); see also McGregor v. Gibson, 248 F.3d 946, 962 (10th Cir. 2001) (en banc). A meaningful retrospective competency determination is possible where the state of the record, together with such additional evidence as may be relevant and available, permits an accurate assessment of the defendant's condition at the time of the original state proceedings. Clayton, 199 F.3d at 1169 (quotation omitted). Here, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the trial court's determination that a retrospective competency hearing was feasible. See Bryan, 935 P.2d at 347, 351. That determination was reasonable. See 28 U.S.C. 2254(d). 22 In considering the feasibility of a such a hearing, a federal habeas court considers four criteria--the passage of time, available contemporaneous medical records and prior competency determinations, the defendant's statements during trial, and available witnesses who interacted with him at the time of trial. See, e.g., McGregor, 248 F.3d at 962-63. In this case, these factors support the state courts' determination that a meaningful, yet retrospective, competency hearing was possible. 23 The trial court conducted the retrospective competency hearing in August 1996, just one and one-half years after Bryan's January 1995 trial. See, e.g., Clayton, 199 F.3d at 1168-69 (almost six years between trial and retrospective competency hearing was troubling, but did not preclude feasibility of retrospective competency determination in that case); cf., e.g., Drope v. Missouri, 420 U.S. 162, 183 (1975) (determining there could not be meaningful retrospective competency determination after six years); Pate v. Robinson, 383 U.S. 375, 377, 387 (1966) (same); McGregor, 248 F.3d at 963 (determining meaningful retrospective competency hearing could not be held after eleven years and in light of minimal contemporaneous medical evidence). 24 Moreover, [t]he passage of time is, in any event, not an insurmountable obstacle if sufficient contemporaneous information is available. Clayton, 199 F.3d at 1169 (quotation omitted). Here, it was. Four mental health experts, who had personally examined Bryan within the year before, or a few months after, his trial, were available to testify at the retrospective hearing. See Barefield v. New Mexico, 434 F.2d 307, 309 (10th Cir. 1970); cf. McGregor, 248 F.3d at 963 (noting disturbing lack of contemporaneous medical evidence where only one psychiatrist testified for the State at previous competency hearing and he had not personally evaluated defendant, but rather testified from another doctor's five-year-old notes). Those experts also had access to Bryan's medical records, as well as records from a brief mental hospitalization in early 1990 and a lengthier eight-month stay in 1989. 25 Further, at the retrospective competency hearing, Bryan was able to present the testimony of the four defense attorneys who represented him before and during trial. His sister, an acquaintance, and his physician also testified as to Bryan's condition at the time of trial. In addition, the State presented the testimony of two guards and a sheriff who were around Bryan during this time. 26 In light of these factors, there was clearly sufficient evidence available at the time of the retrospective hearing to provide Bryan with a meaningful competency hearing. See Clayton, 199 F.3d at 1169-70. The state appellate court's decision upholding the trial court's retrospective competency hearing, therefore, was not unreasonable. 2 See 28 U.S.C. 2254(d). 27