Opinion ID: 1039978
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Atkins Trial

Text: The Oklahoma courts determined that a trial was necessary to decide Howell’s mental capacity. A jury trial commenced for that purpose on May 23, 2005. Howell elected not to be present. Three witnesses—a psychologist (Dr. Daniel Grant) and two of Howell’s siblings—testified on Howell’s behalf. Four witnesses—a psychologist (Dr. John Hutson), Howell’s former prosecutor, a police officer, and Howell’s former co-defendant and current wife (Watson)— testified for the State. The judge instructed the jury to find Howell “mentally retarded” under Oklahoma law if Howell proved by a preponderance of the evidence (1) that he had significant subaverage intellectual functioning (i.e., an IQ below 70), (2) which manifested itself before he was eighteen years of age, and (3) that he had significant limitations in adaptive functions. On May 27, 2005, the jury unanimously decided that Howell was not mentally retarded.