Court Opinion

ID: 5027805
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2021-10-01 05:05:49.477633+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:03:27.468759
License: Public Domain

I concur in the holding that the request for a preliminary trial on the issue of sanity was not timely made.
I would further point out that the affidavit incorporated in the request for a trial on the issue of sanity states only that the defendant 'is a person of unsound mind at this time and was a person of unsound mind at the time of the commission of the offense charged against him,' and there was no allegation or averment that he was by reason of insanity rendered incompetent to make a rational defense to the charge against him.
Jurisdiction of a trial court to grant a preliminary trial on the issue of insanity can be invoked by or on behalf of a defendant only by a motion or request therefor 'based upon allegations that because of present insanity the defendant was unable to prepare a rational defense to the main charge.' State v. Olsen, District Judge, (Tex.Sup.Ct.) 360 S.W.2d 398.