A Legal Evaluation of Criminal Competency Standards

Abstract

A criminal defendant may not be tried unless competent and may not plead guilty or waive the right to counsel unless the waiver is voluntary, knowing, and intelligent. A competency inquiry centers on a defendant's rational and factual understanding of the charges and their consequences and present ability to assist counsel. Competency is not static, changing according to situation and function. In its 1993 ruling, Godinez v. Moran, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the standard for competency to waive counsel and plead guilty is no higher than competency to stand trial, resulting in a relaxed focus for competency determinations.