As a Jacksonville Criminal Lawyer, I find that when defending criminal cases, I often have to practice law as well as psychology. In Florida, if a person has committed a crime, the court must be certain that the defendant is psychologically able to assist in his or her defense and to understand the nature of the crime with which he or she is charged. If a defendant’s competency is challenged, the court must order a psychological evaluation. If the evaluation evidences existence of a mental infirmity, the defendant cannot stand trial and must be admitted to a psychological facility until his or her mental competency has been restored.
Recently, in Jacksonville, Jumar Henry was charged with first degree murder for the murder and decapitating his mother. Jacksonville Judge, David Gooding, ordered the man to a mental health facility to evaluate his competency. If Mr. Henry’s competency is not restored, he will not be tried in court for the crime.