structural:scholar_edition, structural:expansion
Competence to stand trial

A defendant is deemed competent to stand trial if they are found to have a sufficient present ability to understand and participate in legal proceedings. Every year an estimated 60,000 to 90,000 felony defendants undergo competency to stand trial (CST) evaluations, representing roughly 2-5% of all felony defendants, according to recent forensic psychology studies. Of those evaluated, only around 11-30% are deemed incompetent. Competency to stand trial depends only on the defendants current mental state and is entirely separate from their mental state at the time of the crime. CST does not necessarily certify that a defendant is of sound mental state, only that they are capable of understanding what is happening. Even severe mental disorders such as psychosis and amnesia do not automatically make a defendant incompetent. Studies found that about 2/3 of defendants suffering from severe mental disorders were found competent.