United States Ninth Circuit

Held that a state prisoner was entitled to habeas corpus relief because he should have been given a competency hearing. The defendant, who was convicted of domestic violence and other crimes, argued that the trial court violated his due process rights by failing to order, sua sponte, a competency hearing, given the numerous signs of his mental incompetency, including his suicide attempt on the eve of trial. Agreeing, the Ninth Circuit remanded the case to the district court with instructions to grant the habeas corpus writ unless, within a reasonable time, the state grants a new trial.

Appellate Information

• Published 2018/09/06

Judges

• Ebel

Court

• United States Ninth Circuit

Counsel