Opinion ID: 1106169
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 20

Heading: the court's denial of expert assistance violated the eighth and fourteenth amendments to the u.s. constitution.

Text: Ladner filed a motion requesting a private mental examination. The request was denied, but the lower court appointed Dr. Henry Maggio, M.D., to make a determination of, inter alia, Ladner's intelligence quotient. Dr. Maggio reported that there were no hallucinations, delusions, or gross thought disorder; that Ladner's intelligence was quite normal as seen by his ability to do serial 7's, six digits forward and reversed, and to give reasonable and varied answers on similarities. He found that Ladner did not suffer from any severe or serious psychiatric problems; that his intelligence was average or above; that he was mentally competent at the time of the alleged crime; and that he was able to understand the legal process, the nature and consequences of the charges that were brought against him; and that he was competent to assist counsel in his defense. In Ake v. Oklahoma, 470 U.S. 68, 83, 105 S.Ct. 1087, 1096, 84 L.Ed.2d 53, 66 (1985), the United States Supreme Court held that when a defendant demonstrates to the trial judge that his sanity at the time of the offense is to be a significant factor at trial, the State must assure the defendant access to a competent psychiatrist. In the case at bar, Ladner did not attempt to use an insanity defense and his sanity was not a significant factor at trial. In Nixon v. State, 533 So.2d 1078 (Miss. 1987), cert. denied, 490 U.S. 1102, 109 S.Ct. 2458, 104 L.Ed.2d 1012 (1989), the defendant filed a motion for psychological assistance basing his claim on Ake. In denying the motion, this Court said: There are several important factors distinguishing Ake from the instant case. Unlike Ake, Nixon did not attempt to use the insanity defense. Had he done so, the county would have been obligated to pay the cost of an examining psychiatrist of the court's choosing. Miss. Code Ann. § 99-13-11 (1972). See also Miss.Unif. Crim.R.Cir.Ct.Prac. 4.08. Second, the State did not produce psychiatric testimony against Nixon in the penalty phase. To the contrary, in Ake, the State relied on psychiatric testimony establishing the petitioner's future dangerous behavior. Third, Nixon failed to demonstrate that his sanity at the time of the offense was to be a significant factor at trial. Nixon at 1096-97. Like Nixon, Ladner did not attempt to use an insanity defense, the State did not produce psychiatric testimony against him, and he did not demonstrate that sanity was to be a significant factor at trial. This issue is resolved against the appellant.