Assessing Competency

Assessing Competency

Introduction

This paper is based on the murder case of a couple, Mr. John and Mrs. Jane Wilson. It was revealed from the fact and witnesses that their son Edward was held responsible for murdering his parents. Through this paper, competency for stand trial of Edward will be assessed. Because Edward has been identified as mentally ill person and he has history of choking his sister. He was also having mental health treatment.

Discussion

Given The Information Provided, What Else Would You Want To Know About Edward?

Although the information has been provided in the case, but for the competency assessment for the stand trial, there is need for gathering further information about Edward, because there are various applications of the rules of law, whether civil or criminal, legal bodies that make decisions assuming that individuals are in full possession of their physical, mental or social control. Such capabilities are involved in any inquiry into the actual conduct, past or future of people, both because of the direct involvement of individuals in the construction of the legal decision (that involves expressing consent, assuming as the facts themselves, providing data or assessments, etc..) as required by the possession of such capabilities or competencies in their behavior during different life situations implied by the rule of law. Considering the legal requirements for the case trial, the previous activities and required documents of the mental health treatment of Edward are required in detail.

Furthermore, by using the clinical diagnosis to make inferences and develop views on competition-related pretrial capabilities (e.g. understanding of the proceedings and the content of the record, with counsel informed participation, etc.) not established what relationship between such diagnostic capabilities and legal competence. Such relationships, however, can be established but it is very important that explicit what capabilities are inherent competitions altered during the diagnostic process.

Who would you want to interview for collateral contact about him and what information could they provide you to help determine competency?

For the collateral contact about Edward, his doctors should be approached, because after the murder of his parents, doctors are in the position to explain the behavior and history of Edward. He has been alleged for wounded himself at the age of 17 and at the age of 19 he was again put into mental treatment for choking his younger sister. He holds history of committing such actions that indicates towards the problem of mental illness.

Define competency to stand trial: include the standard used in determining ones competency and the various prongs needed to be assessed.

Competency to stand trial assessments have been considered as one of the most important inquiry in mental health which is pursued in the criminal law system. Such assessments in the United States have been approximately 60,000 in a single year. It has also been estimated that in the United States around $185 are being spent on an annual basis for the competency evaluations and treatments related to it (Heilbrun, Rogers & Otto, 2002). The jurisdictional issue has been studied extensively in England, ...