Opinion ID: 1058262
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Mental Retardation Proceeding

Text: In the instant remanded proceeding concerning Burns' claim of mental retardation, Burns' counsel began to notice that Burns was exhibiting odd behavior and questioned Burns' competence. [] Dr. J. Gregory Olley, the psychologist appointed by the circuit court pursuant to Code § 19.2-264.3:1.2 to assist Burns, concluded that Burns' mental health had to be addressed before he could complete a mental retardation evaluation on Burns in conformity with the requirements mandated by Code § 19.2-264.3:1.1. Additionally, a neuropsychiatrist appointed by the circuit court determined that Burns suffered from psychosis, impairment of autobiographical memory, derailment of language and thought, and significant social deterioration, which rendered Burns incompetent to rationally assist counsel in his own defense. Burns' counsel filed a motion to declare Burns incompetent and to secure treatment, pursuant to Code § 19.2-169.2, to restore Burns to competence. The Commonwealth filed a motion opposing the motion to declare Burns incompetent and a motion to change the style of the case. The Commonwealth argued that the instant matter was not a criminal proceeding, nor a post-conviction habeas proceeding, but instead a specific proceeding created by the General Assembly. According to the Commonwealth, the proceeding, authorized by Code § 8.01-654.2, was a collateral, post conviction proceeding, and because Burns was not a defendant in a criminal matter, he did not have a Sixth Amendment right to be competent in the proceeding. Thus, the Commonwealth argued, Code §§ 19.2-169.1 and 19.2-176, which guarantee a criminal defendant the right to a competency evaluation before and after sentencing, were inapplicable. The Commonwealth requested the style of the case be changed to In re: William Joseph Burns or Burns v. Warden to reflect the unique nature of the proceeding. Burns filed a motion in opposition to the Commonwealth's motions, arguing that the statutory scheme for mental retardation determinations allows Burns to retain his criminal trial rights. Burns also argued that this Court had already rejected the Commonwealth's arguments when it stated in Burns v. Warden that all defendants in capital cases who allege mental retardation, regardless of the procedural posture of their cases on the date that Atkins v. Virginia was decided, are afforded the same procedures by statute. Burns v. Warden, 268 Va. 1, 3, 597 S.E.2d 195, 196 (2004), aff'd on reh'g, 269 Va. 351, 352-54, 609 S.E.2d 608, 609-11 (2005). The circuit court heard argument on the motions and ruled that the proceeding was a specific proceeding that was neither wholly civil nor wholly criminal. The circuit court changed the caption of the case to In re: William Joseph Burns. Noting that Burns was the moving party, the circuit court ruled that, as in a civil case, Burns' competence was irrelevant because he was represented by counsel, and declined to determine Burns' competence. A trial date was set for the special proceeding, along with the dates for expert reports to be exchanged beforehand. At the time designated for the filing of expert disclosures, Burns filed a notice stating that he did not intend to present expert testimony in support of his claim. Attached to the notice was a declaration from Dr. Olley. In his declaration, Dr. Olley stated that Burns was not competent to stand trial because of his psychosis. Dr. Olley further stated that Burns' psychosis interfered with his attempts to assess Burns' intellectual functioning in conformity with accepted professional practice and that professional practice obliged him to address Burns' mental illness before administering a standardized intelligence test. Responding to this filing, the Commonwealth filed a Motion for a Final Order. In this motion, the Commonwealth argued that expert testimony was necessary to prove whether Burns was, in fact, mentally retarded because the relevant statute requires proof of significant limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior that must be assessed in conformity with specific professional standards. See Code § 19.2-264.3:1.1(A). The Commonwealth stated that Burns' notice that he did not intend to present expert testimony was an admission of a failure of proof and an implied withdrawal or waiver, which entitled the Commonwealth to judgment. At the hearing on the Motion for Final Order, the circuit court reiterated that Burns' competence was not at issue because the proceeding was not a criminal proceeding. The circuit court opined that the presence of competent counsel was enough for Burns to go forward with the proceeding. Because Burns admitted that he lacked an expert witness on the issue of whether he is mentally retarded, the circuit court ruled that Burns could not satisfy his burden of proof on the mental retardation issue. The circuit court granted the Commonwealth's Motion for a Final Order, treating it as a motion for summary judgment. We granted Burns' petition for appeal.