Opinion ID: 700633
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: McBride's Competency

Text: 56 McBride argues next that the district court erred by failing to hold a competency hearing after her alleged suicide attempt. She contends that the court could not have found her voluntarily absent without first determining her competence. Because McBride's attorney never filed a motion requesting a competency hearing, 7 we must determine whether the district court abused its discretion in failing sua sponte to order one. 18 U.S.C. Sec. 4241 provides that the court 57 shall order such a hearing on its own motion, if there is reasonable cause to believe that the defendant may presently be suffering from a mental disease or defect rendering him mentally incompetent to the extent that he is unable to understand the nature and consequences of the proceedings against him or to assist properly in his defense. 58 18 U.S.C. Sec. 4241; see also Flugence v. Butler, 848 F.2d 77, 79 (5th Cir.1988). Whether reasonable cause exists to put the court on notice that the defendant might be mentally incompetent is left to the sound discretion of the district court. United States v. Williams, 468 F.2d 819, 820 (5th Cir.1972). In determining whether there is a bona fide doubt as to the defendant's competence, the court considers three factors: (1) any history of irrational behavior, (2) the defendant's demeanor at trial, and (3) any prior medical opinion on competency. Davis, 545 F.2d at 464 (citing Drope v. Missouri, 420 U.S. 162, 95 S.Ct. 896, 43 L.Ed.2d 103 (1975)). 59 McBride argues that the ingestion of fifty antidepressants in an apparent suicide attempt was sufficient to constitute reasonable cause to hold a competency hearing. In Drope, the defendant shot himself in the stomach prior to the second day of trial. The district court failed sua sponte to order a competency hearing before finding the defendant voluntarily absent. The Supreme Court reversed, holding that the failure to hold a competency hearing denied the defendant's right to a fair trial. 420 U.S. at 180, 95 S.Ct. at 908. 60 However, in Drope, the Supreme Court expressly refused to decide whether an attempted suicide itself creates reasonable cause for a competency hearing. Rather, it held that the suicide attempt together with the information about defendant's mental instability prior to trial and the defendant's wife's testimony regarding his instability created a sufficient doubt of his competence to stand trial to require further inquiry on the question. Id. 61 In this case, the evidence of incompetence was not sufficiently manifest that the district court abused its discretion in failing on its own motion to order a competency hearing. See Zapata v. Estelle, 588 F.2d 1017, 1021 (5th Cir.1979). There was no hint of incompetence before McBride's absence. After her absence, the district court stayed in close contact with McBride's physician, and the record reflects no information (except McBride's possible suicide attempt) that reflected adversely on her competency. The mental evaluation conducted at the hospital in Greenville does not indicate any severe mental problems or remaining suicidal thoughts. 8 Nor does the report from the federal medical facility in Lexington contain any information suggesting incompetency. The detailed report merely indicates that McBride was depressed but alert and that she had similar episodes in the past when confronted with stress. Thus, we conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in failing on its own motion to order a competency hearing.