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Competence to stand trial should require rational understanding.

Alan R Felthous¹

¹Forensic Psychiatry Division, Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1438 South Grand Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA. felthous@slu.edu

The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law

|March 11, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The United States Supreme Court now requires rational understanding for competency to be executed. A uniform standard for competency to stand trial (CST) should also include rationality for legal purposes.

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Area of Science:

Forensic Psychology
Legal Psychology
Criminal Law

Background:

The Dusky standard explicitly mentions rationality, but most U.S. competency to stand trial (CST) standards do not.
Irrational understanding or inability to rationally consult counsel undermines the legal purposes of CST.
Most insanity tests incorporate a rationality criterion.

Purpose of the Study:

To analyze the implicit and explicit role of rationality in U.S. competency standards.
To advocate for a uniform CST standard that includes rationality.

Main Methods:

Legal analysis of Supreme Court decisions (Dusky, Timmins, Panetti v. Quarterman).
Examination of existing U.S. competency to stand trial (CST) standards.
Comparative analysis of CST and insanity standards.

Main Results:

The Supreme Court's decision in Panetti v. Quarterman mandates rational understanding for competence to be executed.
The Ninth Circuit's ruling in United States v. Timmins highlighted the importance of rationality in CST.
Current CST standards often lack explicit rationality requirements, leading to inconsistent application.

Conclusions:

The legal history of Panetti v. Quarterman clarifies that "understanding" implies rational understanding.
A uniform CST standard incorporating rationality is necessary to fulfill legal objectives.
Courts should consistently apply rationality criteria in CST determinations.