Court Opinion

ID: 9782784
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-30 19:16:05.120558+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:35:11.967630
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE KARNEZIS, dissenting: I respectfully dissent from the majority view that concludes the trial court should have sua sponte ordered a fitness hearing based on defendant’s failure to regularly receive his medication. I believe that the specific facts of this case are not sufficient to establish a bona fide doubt as to defendant’s fitness. Does the fact that defendant, who had been found fit with medication and did not receive his medication two days before trial and again on the day of trial, standing alone, raise a bona fide doubt as to defendant’s fitness to stand trial? Or, does a judge abuse his discretion where he fails, sua sponte, to order a fitness hearing based on the above factual situation? The majority answers the question in the affirmative and remands this case for a retrospective fitness hearing. I respectfully dissent and suggest that the specific facts of this case are not sufficient to establish a bona fide doubt as to defendant’s fitness and the trial court did not abuse its discretion where it failed to sua sponte order a fitness hearing. The fact that defendant did not receive a portion of his medication on the morning of trial and any of his medication two days prior, standing alone, does not raise a bona fide doubt as to defendant’s fitness. I, therefore, respectfully dissent.