Opinion ID: 1878821
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Competency Hearing/Ineffective Assistance of Counsel

Text: In his seventh and eighth issues, Patton argues his competency hearing was inadequate and counsel was ineffective for failing to inform the mental health experts of Patton's history of mental illness. The competency issue is procedurally barred because it should have been raised on direct appeal. See Johnston v. Dugger, 583 So.2d 657, 659 (Fla.1991). The claim that counsel was ineffective for failing to properly inform the court-appointed experts of Patton's history of mental illness is insufficient to overcome the procedural bar. See Kennedy v. State, 547 So.2d 912 (Fla.1989). Furthermore, this claim is without merit because Patton has not shown that he was prejudiced by counsel's alleged failure to inform the experts. See Strickland, 466 U.S. at 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052. Two of the four court-appointed experts, who had previously found Patton competent to stand trial, testified at his resentencing. Prior to their testimony, each reviewed the hospital records. Both experts testified that the additional information did not change their opinions about Patton's sanity. Thus, the record demonstrates that even if counsel had provided these experts with more information at the original competency hearing, they still would have found Patton competent to stand trial. Accordingly, this claim was properly summarily denied. As a corollary to the substantive competency claim, Patton also argues counsel was ineffective for failing to provide the four court-appointed experts with proper background history with regard to his previous confinement in mental hospitals. This claim is without merit for the same reason stated above. Two of the experts were later given this information and they both testified that it would not have affected their opinion that Patton was competent to stand trial.