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Abstract: 

A torrent of defense motions in the trial of Jared Loughner—charged with fatally shooting six people including a federal judge, and seriously injuring others including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords at a public appearance by Giffords in Tucson—seem designed merely to delay the inevitable. The latest motion that the court is considering involves Loughner’s mental competency to assist in his own defense. In this article, Fred Cohen examines the key legal precedents courts rely on in establishing trial competency.

Keywords: Trial competency; Washington v. Harper , 494 U.S. 210, 227; Sell v. United States , 539 U.S. 166

Affiliations:  1: Executive Editor.