Competency to Stand Trial Evaluations:
A Manual for Practice
CHAPTER 1: DEFINING THE QUESTION
1.10 Legal Definition and Procedure for Competency to Stand Trial
1.20 What Legal Incompetency Is Not
1.30 Five Objectives of Competency Evaluations
CHAPTER 2: SELECTING METHODS
2.10 General Considerations
2.20 Information for the Functional Objective
2.30 Information for the Causal Objective
2.40 Information for the Interactive Objective
2.50 Information for the Prescriptive Objective
CHAPTER 3: COLLECTING THE DATA
3.10 Preparation
3.20 Scope and Setting of Evaluations
3.30 Accountability
3.40 Defendant Preparation
3.50 Sequence of Methods
3.60 After the Evaluation Session
CHAPTER 4: INTERPRETING THE DATA
4.10 Functional Objective: Inferences about Type and Degree of
Deficits in Competency Abilities
4.20 Causal Objective: Inferences to Explain Deficits in Competency
Abilities
4.30 Inferences about Malingering
4.40 Interactive Objective: Inferences about the Significance
of Deficits
4.50 Prescriptive Objective: Inferences about Remediation
CHAPTER 5: COMMUNICATING FINDINGS
5.10 Types of Communications
5.20 Functions of Reports
5.30 Guidelines for Writing
5.40 Contents of Reports
CHAPTER 6: IMPROVING COMPETENCY EVALUATION SYSTEMS
6.10 Referral Procedures
6.20 Promoting More Efficient Evaluations
6.30 Testimony on the Ultimate Legal Question
6.40 Continuing Education
APPENDICES
Appendix A: Resources for Forensic Examiner's Continuing Education
Appendix B: Legal Cases Often Cited to Address Standards and Procedures
for Competency to Stand Trial
Appendix C: Lists of Defendant Abilities and Trial Demands for Use
in Pretrial Competency Evaluations
Appendix D: Information about Competency Evaluation Instruments
Appendix E: Example Report for a Pretrial Competency Evaluation
REFERENCES CITED