Opinion ID: 430578
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: adequacy of psychiatric hearing before trial

Text: 52 Alvord contends that he did not receive due process of law at his trial because the competency hearings conducted by Dr. Robey, Dr. Gonzales, and Dr. Sprehe were insufficient to allow the trial judge accurately to rule on his competency to stand trial. Alvord relies on United States v. Taylor, 437 F.2d 371 (4th Cir.1970), and Blake v. Zant, 513 F.Supp. 772 (S.D.Ga.1981) (appeal docketed 5/13/81), and calls our attention to Judge Sobeloff's opinion in Taylor discussing critically the competency examination in that case, see 437 F.2d at 379-83. It is now well established that conviction of a legally incompetent defendant violates due process. Pate v. Robinson, 383 U.S. 375, 386, 86 S.Ct. 836, 842, 15 L.Ed.2d 815 (1966); Reese v. Wainwright, 600 F.2d 1085, 1090-94 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 444 U.S. 983, 100 S.Ct. 487, 62 L.Ed.2d 410 (1979). Stated in another way, the state must have held an adequate hearing on [Alvord's] competency, Pate, 383 U.S. at 386, 86 S.Ct. at 842, or we must hold Alvord's conviction invalid. The district court properly refused to invalidate the conviction because an examination of the record shows that the state afforded Alvord an adequate hearing. 53 We need not repeat here the rather detailed account of the pretrial proceedings related to Alvord's competency set forth above. See supra Sec. II. To summarize the events, the trial judge several times ordered two psychiatrists to examine Alvord, but they were unable at first to form an opinion because of Alvord's failure to cooperate. The judge then ordered that Alvord be sent to the state mental hospital for observation, but he rescinded that order because he believed he lacked the necessary authority to enter it. In order to obtain a meaningful examination and opinion, the court invited Dr. Robey to come to Florida from Michigan to examine Alvord at state expense. Robey talked twice with Alvord; and, primarily on the basis of Robey's diagnosis, the judge found Alvord competent. 54 Alvord argues that the examination he received was grossly inadequate because of the poor conditions and lack of time spent together by Robey and Alvord. Robey testified to this effect at the district court's evidentiary hearing. Supp.Appellate Rec. II, 21-24. We find no indication that Robey believed at the time he conducted his examination that he was operating under unacceptable conditions, however. The record shows that Robey submitted the following report to the trial judge: 55 The above-named 26-11[?] year old white, married Catholic male was interviewed on two separate occasions at the Hillsborough County jail in Tampa, Florida. This evaluation was made at the request of the State Attorney following the defendant's refusal at an earlier date to in any way cooperate with the court-appointed examining psychiatrists, Doctors Arturo G. Gonzales and Daniel J. Sprehe. 56 The defendant in the present case is charged with three counts of first degree murder. He had previously been acquitted by Reason of Insanity in the State of Michigan, and had been committed at the Ionia State Hospital, Michigan's equivalent of Chattahoochee State Hospital in Florida. He had escaped from this institution on January 24, 1973, and had traveled to Florida. It was while on escape from Ionia State Hospital that he is alleged to have committed the three murders with which he presently stands charged. 57 The defendant was interviewed on two separate occasions. On the first of these interviews, on January 3, 1974, he was seen from 1:45 to 4:40 p.m. with one ten-minute break for the interviewer to answer a telephone call. Interview time on this date totaled two hours and forty-five minutes. During this initial interview, evaluation was done of the defendant's competency to stand trial, but due to his refusal to discuss any of the details of the acts with which he was charged, no opinion could be rendered on criminal responsibility except one generally based on prior knowledge of the defendant in comparison with the mental state as seen during the interview. On the basis of this interview, an opinion was rendered in Court that the defendant was fully capable of recognizing the nature and object of the proceedings, his own position in those proceedings as defendant, the nature and extent of the charges against him, and the possible penalties, and he was felt to be fully capable, insofar as he wished, to advise and cooperate with counsel in both the preparation and implementation of his defense. The defendant did make a statement both on interview, and subsequent thereto on January 4 before the Court, that he had less than complete faith in his assigned counsel and demonstrated this by comparison with the lawyer who had been assigned to him in Michigan on the question of his extradition to Florida. This very fact itself was indicative of competency to stand trial. 58 In regard to the question of criminal responsibility, as indicated above, the defendant initially would not discuss the situation. It was only after being reassured from the Bench by the Judge that any inculpatory statements he might make to the psychiatrist could not be used in the case in chief, that he then expressed willingness to discuss the matter. 59 On January 4, 1974, the defendant was seen again from 6:45 to 9:00 p.m. on the issue of criminal responsibility. Based on this two and one-quarter hour interview, an opinion is rendered that in reference to the act charged, the defendant was aware of the wrongfulness of his actions. Despite this, paranoid and schizoid features are seen in the underlying basic immature sociopathic personality disorder, and were an A.L.I. Model Penal Code test used in the State of Florida, there could conceivably be some argument that, by reason of mental disease, he lacked substantial capacity to conform his behavior to the requirements of the law. 60 In summary, an opinion is rendered that the defendant, Gary Alvord, is both competent to stand trial and criminally responsible under Florida law. 61 At one of the numerous pretrial hearings, Robey made the following statements concerning the adequacy and results of his examinations: 62 Q. And throughout this interview with and examination of the defendant, Gary Alvord, were you able to form an opinion as to whether or not he would be able to aid and assist his counsel in the preparation and presentation of his defense? 63 A. Yes, sir, I think, I have some qualifications in this area, but the qualifications are more concerned with the fact that he has been aware of comparisons or has made comparisons between the assistance he obtained from counsel here and the assistance he obtained, for instance, from counsel in Michigan at the time of his extradition. This showed me, of course, that while he might be concerned about the expertise that would be applied legally to his case, that any reluctance to cooperate would be just that. It would not be in any way based on mental illness. It would be based in the hope for the maximum representation he could receive. 64 Q. Are you saying that he was concerned that he was not going to get full legal protection here as opposed perhaps to the attorney he had in Michigan? 65
66 Q. Is that what you are saying? 67 A. Yes. 68 Q. So, it didn't have anything to do with any mental illness that he might not be able to-- 69 A. No, sir. 70 Q. --aid and assist his counsel? 71 A. This, this was based in what I feel was entirely, logical, reasonable concern, particularly in view both of capital punishment being reinstituted in this state and the realization of the severity of the offense with which he is charged. And it indicated to me not that he was incompetent but that his abilities to thoroughly evaluate the legal situation were, as I indicated before, perhaps above average. 72 Q. Okay. So, as to his ability to aid and assist counsel, there is no, in your opinion, there is no mental illness or disease that would prevent or preclude him from aiding and assisting his counsel? 73 A. That is correct. 74 Q. Okay. Now, was he able to understand the charges pending against him in this case, three counts of murder in the first degree? 75 A. Yes. 76 Q. And that is your opinion regarding that? 77 A. That's correct. 78 Q. Okay, No qualifications regarding it? 79 A. No, sir. 80 Q. As to his understanding of the charges?A. All of these are within the bounds of reasonable medical certainty. 81 Q. Okay, Doctor, your opinion at this point would be that Gary Alvord is competent to stand trial? 82 A. That's correct. 83 Q. Okay. Thank you. 84 In response to questions by Meyers on cross-examination, Robey stated: 85 Q. Were you able to adequately make a determination on January the 18, 1973? 86 A. Of what, Mr. Meyers? 87 Q. Of his mental condition? 88 A. Oh, yes, sir. I think once you have obtained an adequate past history and get to know someone well, as little a period of time as thirty seconds to a minute can give us more than adequate diagnostic information, again based on the fact that you already know the defendant, the patient, well. 89