Opinion ID: 2995876
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Brown’s Status Hearing

Text: Brown appeared in court for a status hearing on No- vember 25, 1991. On the basis of Dr. Kaplan’s medical report, the trial judge concluded that Brown was fit to stand trial. Kozlowski, in spite of her wealth of knowledge about her client to the contrary, failed to object or question Kaplan’s competency recommendation in any manner, much less the court’s finding that Brown was mentally competent to proceed to trial. She also neglected to make 10 No. 01-2326 the court aware that the prison authorities at Menard had not yet complied with the subpoena for the records. Kozlowski’s less than vigorous approach in advocating her client’s interests came in spite of several important facts: (1) she had been informed by Geraghty, the Northwestern University Law School professor, that Brown had previously been prescribed and received anti-psychotic medication; (2) she had also been informed by Geraghty that Brown had previously been found unfit to stand trial; (3) she had been having difficulty communicating with Brown and had as well advised the court of the episode when he yelled at her law clerk; (4) she had earlier expressed to the trial judge that there was “certainly an issue of sanity”; and (5) she had subpoenaed, but never received (and neglected to continue her investigation into the failure to produce) Brown’s medical records from Menard. Not surprisingly, as a result of the inadequate work products of the public defenders and the court-appointed doctors, the court found Brown competent to stand trial and set the date for his criminal proceeding in January 1992.