Opinion ID: 2044456
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: Arbitrary and Capricious Deadline

Text: Defendant next contends that the trial court violated his right to due process by arbitrarily and capriciously imposing a deadline for filing an amended petition and for refusing to appoint an expert to evaluate defendant. Defendant's argument is nothing more than an alternative repetition of his first argument. Essentially defendant is asserting that the deadline for filing his amended petition was arbitrary and capricious because it had to be filed without defendant's attorneys having the benefit of a neuropsychiatrist examining defendant. Defendant does not argue that the lack of time prevented him from presenting an adequate petition. Rather, he asserts that the trial court's refusal to appoint funds for an expert and to grant him additional time to obtain the expert's opinion prevented him from presenting an adequate petition. Because we have concluded that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in failing to appropriate funds to hire an expert, we must also conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion when it refused to extend the deadline for filing defendant's amended petition.