Opinion ID: 75827
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: conclusion

Text: 66 Scher has failed to convince us that the district court should not have granted Sanchez-Velasco's motion to dismiss the federal habeas petition filed in his name without his consent. On its way to dismissing the petition, the district court made some errors but all of them wrongly favored Scher. Scher has failed to satisfy either of the two Whitmore requirements for next-friend standing. He has not shown that he is truly dedicated to the best interests of the real party in interest, nor has he shown an adequate explanation for why the real party cannot appear in his own behalf. In light of the state court proceedings and his failure to proffer sufficient evidence to warrant another inquiry in federal court, Scher was not entitled to a re-determination of the mental competency question in federal court, but he got one. And the one he received was not tainted by procedural or other errors, nor is the finding the district court reached clearly erroneous. 67 That concludes our technical analysis or explanation in legal terms of why we are affirming the district court's decision to grant Sanchez-Velasco's motion to dismiss the federal habeas petition that had been filed in his name. But we should not forget the values that motivated the Supreme Court's Whitmore decision and what is really at stake in this kind of case. These cases are about the right of self-determination and freedom to make fundamental choices affecting one's life. As a death row inmate, Sanchez-Velasco does not have many choices left. One choice the law does give him is whether to fight the death sentence he is under or accede to it. Sanchez-Velasco, who is mentally competent to make that choice, has decided not to contest his death sentence any further. He has the right to make that choice. Todd Scher and CCRC are strangers to Sanchez-Velasco. He has never asked them to represent him or consented to have them do so. He has directed them to leave his case alone, and the law will enforce that directive. 68 AFFIRMED.