When a defense counsel, prosecutor, or judge has reason to question whether a defendant can rationally assist in their own defense, the court may order a competency evaluation, the most common ...

Jun. 30—Every year, hundreds of people across New York who have been accused of crimes are sent to state-run mental hospitals to be treated for severe disabilities or mental illnesses that prevent ...

Feb. 28—Shellie Whitmore has yet to be in a courtroom with the man accused of stabbing her father to death on a walking path in Manchester more than two years ago. The next chance to change that ...

There has scarcely been a better time in our great state’s history to be an advocate for improved mental health services. While Florida ranks abysmally at or near the bottom in community mental health ...

In the Vermont House Judiciary section of the legislative website, two bills dealing with competency are listed. H.251 was ...

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — People charged with crimes who have been deemed mentally incompetent sometimes wait months in jail for restoration services at the state hospital. The 1st Judicial District, ...

The trial of a man accused of killing his mother has been put on hold, pending the restoration of his competency. On Dec. 1, court documents were filed showing the court canceled Christian May's ...

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, District Court and mental health providers are launching a new local process for evaluating defendants’ mental competency and offering outpatient treatment for ...

Torrance State Hospital is one of only two hospitals in Pennsylvania that provide ‘competency restoration,’ treatment for people who have been deemed incompetent to stand trial. Spotlight PA is an ...

Should individuals with persistent and serious mental illness, who commit minor crimes, be treated as criminals in our court system, or can we treat their mental illness in a more humane way and offer ...

Even after eight years of litigation, bills passed by the Colorado Legislature, and countless frustrated and grieving family members, hundreds of people with severe mental illnesses still sit in ...

NORTH CHARLESTON — Vanilla yellow and sky blue walls line the third floor of the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center's Alpha tower. A common area featuring smoothly curved, royal blue chairs and ...