Opinion ID: 2192826
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Plea of Guilty but Mentally Ill

Text: The Commonwealth argues the trial court improperly ruled pretrial that the defendant was mentally ill, and thus implies the trial court should not have accepted a plea of guilty but mentally ill to the charges without the Commonwealth's consent. The Commonwealth describes the trial court's decisions regarding the defendant's mental illness as tantamount to summary judgment, and reminds this Court of precedent which holds summary judgment is improper in criminal proceedings in this state. See, e.g., Commonwealth v. Hayden, Ky., 489 S.W.2d 513, 516 (1972); King v. Venters, Ky., 595 S.W.2d 714 (1980). We believe our Penal Code and Criminal Rules allow a trial court to accept a plea of guilty but mentally ill without the acquiescence of the Commonwealth. However, we further believe that the trial court is required by statute to make findings of fact with respect to the defendant's mental illness before accepting such a plea. Guilty but mentally ill is listed among the pleas available to a defendant in RCr 8.08: A defendant may plead not guilty, guilty or guilty but mentally ill. The court may refuse to accept a plea of guilty or guilty but mentally ill, and shall not accept the plea without first determining that the plea is made voluntarily with understanding of the nature of the charge. RCr 8.08. KRS 504.130, the basis for the plea of guilty but mentally ill, further explains the plea and emphasizes the requirement of a factual finding of mental illness: (2) If the defendant waives his right to trial, the court may accept a plea of guilty but mentally ill if it finds that the defendant was mentally ill at the time of the offense. KRS 504.130 (emphasis added). We are mindful of our opinion in Commonwealth v. Corey, Ky., 826 S.W.2d 319 (1992), which held if the guilty plea has strings attached which limit the sentence which may be imposed by virtue of it, the Commonwealth must be a party to the agreement. Id. at 321. As discussed below in connection with our analysis of the trial court's ruling excluding the death penalty from the sentencing alternatives, Corey is important to our ultimate disposition of this matter. However, with respect to the issue of acceptance of the plea of guilty but mentally ill, KRS 504.150 explains [t]he court shall sentence a defendant found guilty but mentally ill at the time of the offense ... in the same manner as a defendant found guilty.... Id. The statute, of course, further requires mental health treatment be provided to the defendant found guilty but mentally ill. Id. However, we see no inherent limitation on the sentence which may be imposed when a trial judge accepts a defendant's plea of guilty but mentally ill over the Commonwealth's objection. We find of particular importance the above-quoted and emphasized part of KRS 504.130(2) which makes the trial court's factual finding that the defendant was mentally ill at the time of the offense a prerequisite to the acceptance of a plea of guilty but mentally ill. The face of the statute allows a defendant to enter a plea of guilty but mentally ill providing the judge finds the defendant was guilty but mentally ill at the time of the offense. Clearly, if the defendant's mental condition is contested by the Commonwealth, the statute contemplates an evidentiary hearing of the type required in connection with a determination of whether a defendant is competent to stand trial. KRS 504.100(3). The Commonwealth may litigate the mental illness issue at this hearing. If requested, the Commonwealth may require a defendant who has expressed an intention to enter a plea of guilty but mentally ill to submit to a psychiatric examination. In the matter now before the Court, the trial judge held a hearing on defense counsel's motion to exclude the death penalty because of mental illness, and nothing in the record indicates that the trial court was clearly erroneous in its conclusion following this hearing that the defendant suffered from a mental illness at the time of the offense. Accordingly, we find the trial court's acceptance of a plea of guilty but mentally ill was not error and provides no basis for the issuance of a writ of prohibition.