Opinion ID: 1750183
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: failure to file a more specific report

Text: The Commonwealth argues that the trial court erred when it denied its motion to require Dr. Pack to file a more specific report stating a definitive conclusion about Deanna's competency to stand trial. The motion alternatively asked for exclusion of any testimony or opinion by Dr. Pack at the competency hearing if she failed to give a specific opinion about Deanna's competency in her report. The Commonwealth claims that it was prejudiced at trial by Dr. Pack's conclusion that Deanna was marginally competent when such conclusion was not previously disclosed in her report. The trial court makes the ultimate determination of whether a defendant is competent to stand trial. To aid the court in making this determination, KRS 504.100(1) requires the court to appoint at least one psychologist or psychiatrist to examine and report on the defendant's mental condition. KRS 504.100(2) provides: (2) The report of the psychologist or psychiatrist shall state whether or not he finds the defendant incompetent to stand trial. If he finds the defendant is incompetent, the report shall state: (a) Whether there is a substantial probability of his attaining competency in the foreseeable future; and (b) What type treatment and what type treatment facility the examiner recommends. We would agree that the language of subsection (2) requires a specific finding of competency. However, in reading the statute as a whole, we believe the requirements of specificity in subsection (2) apply only to the report of the court-appointed neutral expert, and not to the defendant's independent expert. The language of subsection (2) is clearly in reference to the court-appointed psychologist or psychiatrist in subsection (1), and applies to the report from that examiner, who is working for the court and not the defense or the prosecution. Bishop, 118 S.W.3d at 163. Hence, the lower court did not err in denying the motion for a more specific report by Dr. Pack. As to the Commonwealth's claim of unfair surprise at trial by Dr. Pack's conclusion, it must be noted that the Commonwealth did not object to Dr. Pack's testimony at the competency hearing. RCr 9.22. Further, the Commonwealth had an opportunity to cross-examine Dr. Pack at the competency hearing. In reviewing the twelve-page report of Dr. Pack, while it did not reach a definitive conclusion about Deanna's competency, it was replete with statements about her cognitive impairments and repeatedly questioned her intellectual abilities and competency to stand trial. From our reading of Dr. Pack's report, we do not see how the Commonwealth could claim surprise at Dr. Pack's testimony that Deanna was marginally competent.