Opinion ID: 2320446
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Relevance of Mental Illness

Text: Courts have found evidence of a witness' mental illness may be relevant to both competency and credibility. United States v. Partin, 493 F.2d 750, 762 (5th Cir.1974) (citing Sinclair v. Turner, 447 F.2d 1158 (10th Cir.1971), cert. denied, 405 U.S. 1048, 92 S.Ct. 1329, 31 L.Ed.2d 590 (1972)); Ramseyer v. General Motors Corp., 417 F.2d 859 (8th Cir.1969); United States v. Allegretti, 340 F.2d 254 (7th Cir. 1964), cert. denied, 381 U.S. 911, 85 S.Ct. 1531, 1532 (1965)) (other citations omitted). As the court stated in Partin: [t]he jury should, within reason, be informed of all matters affecting a witness's credibility to aid in their determination of the truth. . . . It is just as reasonable that a jury be informed of a witness's mental incapacity at a time about which he proposes to testify as it would be for the jury to know that he then suffered an impairment of sight or hearing. It all goes to the ability to comprehend, know and relate the truth. 493 F.2d at 762; see also Collins v. United States, 491 A.2d 480, 485 n. 5 (D.C.1985).