Opinion ID: 2569334
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 13

Heading: Failure to Present a Mental Defense

Text: Hedges' first two attorneys repeatedly advised Hedges to pursue a mental defense. Hedges refused, maintaining that his actions were defensible because of Roberta's lies and misdeeds in the divorce action. Hedges now asserts had he been aware that the statutory defense had changed from insanity to mental defect or disease, he would have instructed his trial attorney to present that defense. Hedges, who was found to be competent to stand trial, had the right to determine whether to pursue a mental defense. See State v. Smith, 16 Kan. App.2d 478, 480, 825 P.2d 541 (1992) (citing Kansas Rule of Professional Conduct 1.2[a] [1999 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 291]) (a defendant in a criminal case has the ultimate authority to determine how to plead). Hedges refused to permit his attorneys to assert an insanity (mental defect) defense. Under the circumstances, the attorneys were required to defend the case accordingly. Hedges did not object to the instruction on diminished capacity. The jury determined that Hedges was not suffering from diminished capacity at the time of the crimes. The trial judge refused to instruct the jury on insanity. The evidence was insufficient to instruct the jury on insanity; it was also insufficient to instruct on a mental defect or disease defense. Hedges' attorneys were not ineffective for failing to assert a mental disease defense.