Court Opinion

ID: 9721473
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 09:00:14.536017+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:24:26.111317
License: Public Domain

*550T. E. Brennan, J.
(dissenting). I dissent. The majority assumes that there was a request for forensic psychiatric evaluation. There was no request for such evaluation.
My Brother talks about “Mr. Gomolak’s twice declared insistence upon ‘a forensic examination that hasn’t been carried out.’ ”
Defendant told the judge that a psychiatrist in the jail had suggested or recommended an evaluation. The record does not show that such recommendation or suggestion had ever been communicated to the court, except by defendant’s hearsay statement on the morning of trial.
Defendant did not request an examination. He asked why he had not had an examination. The judge told him why he had not had an examination.
Absent a request, there is no issue of a constitutional right to pretrial examination for competence to stand trial.
All that remains is the question of whether the trial judge abused his discretion by failing sua sponte to adjourn the trial and order the defendant examined, without a request. I find none. I would affirm.