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jurisdictions remain persuaded that the heightened standard of proof imposed on the accused in
Oklahoma is not necessary to vindicate the State's interest in prompt and orderly disposition of criminal cases." The court found most states uses a burden of proof far lower, or imposed no burden of proof at all, once the competency question is raised.
444:
In a unanimous verdict, the
Supreme Court reversed the judgment and remanded the case back to the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals for further consideration in light of their opinion. The Court held that the State may not proceed with a criminal trial when the defendant has demonstrated that he is
468:
regarding competency and the treatment of the insane and also compared
Oklahoma's standards with the contemporary practices of other states, finding that only 4 of the 50 states used Oklahoma's heightened standard of proof. They concluded that this "demonstrates that the vast majority of
375:, defendant Cooper, and a third psychologist who concluded that Cooper was incompetent. While expressing his uncertainty and not disagreeing with the psychologist, the judge ruled against Cooper and ordered the trial to proceed, finally opining:
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I think it's going to take smarter people than me to make a decision here. I'm going to say that I don't believe he has carried the burden by clear and convincing evidence of his incompetency and I'm going to say we're going to go to
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raised the issue of Cooper's competence a third time, telling the court that Cooper's behavior was "odd" and that he refused to communicate with his attorney. The attorney said that it could be a serious matter "if he's not
408:
when he jackknifed backward off of that railing into that marble could be heard at the back of that courtroom. . . . he's just busted his head, tears are streaming down his eyes and he does not respond in any normal
142:
Oklahoma's procedural rule that allows the State to try a defendant who is more likely than not incompetent violates due process. Oklahoma Court of
Criminal Appeals reversed and remanded for further proceedings.
1381:
530:
498:, a defendant has a fundamental right not to be put to trial unless he has "sufficient present ability to consult with his lawyer with a reasonable degree of rational understanding . . . a
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understanding of the proceedings against him." A State may not proceed with a criminal trial after the defendant has demonstrated that he is more likely than not to be incompetent.
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disagreed over whether Cooper was competent to stand trial, the judge decided to rule against Cooper and ordered the trial to proceed. After the pretrial hearing was completed, the
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Without looking for his safety at all and looking what's behind him, when I moved the least bit he fell to get away from me. He fell. He hit his head. The thud on that
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On the first day of trial, Cooper's bizarre behavior (such as fleeing from his defense attorney, refusing to change his
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The trial proceeded with Cooper continuing to act in a bizarre manner and refusing to be near his attorney. Cooper was
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affirmed both the conviction and the sentence. Cooper appealed to the
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The
American Academy for Psychiatry and the Law unofficially considers this decision a
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Uniform Jury Instructions regarding competency decisions
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was recounted. Finally the defense attorney pleaded for either a
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List of United States
Supreme Court cases by the Rehnquist Court
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was challenged on five separate occasions before and during his
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698:, American Academy for Psychiatry and the Law (2014).
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Supreme Court cases of the Rehnquist Court
327:. Both before and during his trial, the question of his
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of an 86-year-old man while in the course of committing
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In this case, the defendant's ability to understand the
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unless he proves otherwise by the second highest legal
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Supreme Court cases, volume 517
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488:. The court stated that no one questions the
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453:for a defendant to demonstrate a need for a
1392:United States Fourteenth Amendment case law
1372:Mental health case law in the United States
796:Retarded Defendants Gain More Protection -
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521:List of United States Supreme Court cases
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464:The court used the relevant history of
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18:1996 United States Supreme Court case
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933:County Court of Ulster Cty. v. Allen
610: (last visited August 8, 2018).
256:case in which the Court reversed an
1305:New York ex rel. Whitman v. Wilson
426:Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals
421:after the jury recommended death.
100:Jury verdict of guilty; affirmed,
36:Supreme Court of the United States
14:
1377:United States Supreme Court cases
724:348 (1996) is available from:
280:. The court said the defendant's
417:the motion. Cooper received the
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1387:1996 in United States case law
260:court decision holding that a
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447:clear and convincing evidence
274:clear and convincing evidence
252:, 517 U.S. 348 (1996), was a
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254:United States Supreme Court
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783:Oyez (oral argument audio)
1321:Mesarosh v. United States
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329:competency to stand trial
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1269:Prosecutorial misconduct
877:Holland v. United States
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266:competent to stand trial
1176:Bishop v. United States
1063:United States v. Bagley
1055:California v. Trombetta
1033:Giglio v. United States
43:Argued January 17, 1996
1184:Dusky v. United States
1047:United States v. Agurs
885:Leary v. United States
635:, 517 U.S. at 351 n.1.
495:Dusky v. United States
411:
382:
240:U.S. Const. amend. XIV
45:Decided April 16, 1996
1240:Sell v. United States
1103:United States v. Ruiz
1071:Arizona v. Youngblood
973:Sullivan v. Louisiana
917:Patterson v. New York
901:Cool v. United States
683:, 517 U.S. at 361-62.
659:, 517 U.S. at 360-61.
647:, 517 U.S. at 368-69.
455:competency evaluation
78:116 S. Ct. 1373; 134
1216:Medina v. California
941:Sandstrom v. Montana
341:psychiatric hospital
282:Fourteenth Amendment
276:, ruling that to be
1095:Strickler v. Greene
1087:Wood v. Bartholomew
949:Jackson v. Virginia
774:Library of Congress
390:first degree murder
226:Stevens, joined by
202:Ruth Bader Ginsburg
174:Sandra Day O'Connor
1397:Trials in Oklahoma
1345:McDonough v. Smith
1248:Indiana v. Edwards
1232:Cooper v. Oklahoma
1111:Illinois v. Fisher
981:Victor v. Nebraska
925:Taylor v. Kentucky
909:Mullaney v. Wilbur
802:Cooper v. Oklahoma
714:Cooper v. Oklahoma
695:Landmark Case List
671:, 517 U.S. at 360.
623:, 517 U.S. at 352.
603:Cooper v. Oklahoma
575:Cooper v. Oklahoma
545:Ford v. Wainwright
449:", was too high a
335:in determining to
264:is presumed to be
249:Cooper v. Oklahoma
162:Associate Justices
24:Cooper v. Oklahoma
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1337:Napue v. Illinois
1289:Hysler v. Florida
1281:Mooney v. Holohan
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1208:Riggins v. Nevada
1200:Drope v. Missouri
1164:Mental competence
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1040:Moore v. Illinois
1025:Brady v. Maryland
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965:Cage v. Louisiana
957:Murray v. Carrier
537:Drope v. Missouri
490:fundamental right
451:standard of proof
270:standard of proof
245:
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158:William Rehnquist
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1329:Alcorta v. Texas
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1224:Godinez v. Moran
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857:Reasonable doubt
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234:Laws applied
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218:Case opinion
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190:David Souter
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92:Case history
71:
53:
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843:due process
800:article on
502:as well as
459:due process
286:due process
1366:Categories
1013:disclosure
466:common law
434:certiorari
413:The court
305:sentencing
284:rights to
272:, that of
129:Subsequent
84:U.S. LEXIS
82:498; 1996
553:Footnotes
386:convicted
373:witnesses
345:testimony
262:defendant
228:unanimous
116:granted,
80:L. Ed. 2d
60:Citations
845:case law
840:criminal
712:Text of
510:See also
500:rational
486:case law
440:Decision
409:fashion.
398:mistrial
325:burglary
258:Oklahoma
223:Majority
747:Findlaw
729:Cornell
504:factual
349:experts
297:defense
293:charges
137:Holding
108:2, 889
104:, 1995
1348:(2019)
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577:,
548:(1986)
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406:marble
380:trial.
365:prison
358:faking
337:commit
321:murder
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114:cert.
112:293;
106:OK CR
97:Prior
722:U.S.
583:U.S.
430:writ
307:for
303:and
132:None
122:U.S.
110:P.2d
86:2649
73:more
65:U.S.
63:517
718:517
586:348
579:517
481:in
432:of
388:of
118:516
68:348
1368::
716:,
606:,
593:^
561:^
436:.
831:e
824:t
817:v
76:)
70:(
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