Court Opinion

ID: 9670917
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 03:28:16.455128+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:52:11.417095
License: Public Domain

S. D. Borman
(concurring). I concur. Appellant’s argument that he should have been allowed to testify free of the effects of the antipsychotic drugs which rendered him competent is a very compelling one. A practical alternative may lie in allowing the defendant to present a video tape deposition of testimony given by him prior to trial in a drug-free state. In this way, the defendant could present probative evidence of his insanity through his manner and demeanor on the witness stand. This would preserve his right to be tried while mentally competent and, at the same time, recognize the state’s interest in courtroom safety and order.
I find no error in the case at bar however because the evidence revealed that defendant was not, in fact, in a drug-free state at the time the crimes were committed. Moreover, the testimony he gave at his trial revealed a picture of a severely disturbed individual even while under the influence of psychotropic drugs.
I agree that this issue will have to be resolved on a case-by-case basis.