Competency evaluations are an important part any psychologists offerings. Dr. Deloney, is qualified to perform the following competency evaluations. If you or someone you know needs to be evaluated on any of the below, please contact Dr. Deloney to schedule an evaluation.
Question: Which competency evaluations does Dr. Deloney conduct?
Within the legal system there are a number of areas in which incompetence is a possibility. The following is a list of just some of the areas in competency evaluations can be performed. However, competency when committing a crime is different than competency to stand trial, plead guilty, etc.
- Competence to Stand Trial (Juveniles/Adults)
- If someone is incompetent to stand trial, this means they are not autonomous. Unfortunately, all competency evaluations must be done or at least brought to the forefront of the courts knowledge before the trial takes place. If this does not occur, competency cannot be called into question at a later time.
- Competence to Plead Guilty (Juveniles/Adults)
- Competency comes into question when behavior indicates a lack of understanding. Additionally, if a defendant is competent to stand trial, according to Godinez v. Moran in 1993 they are also competent to plead guilty and to waive a right to defense or an attorney.
- Competence to Waive Defenses (Juveniles/Adults)/Competence to Waive Attorney (Juveniles/Adults)
- The competency standard for pleading guilty is the same as the standard for waiving the right to council. A higher standard is not a requirement.
- Competence to Testify (Juveniles/Adults)
- On the other hand, if someone is incompetent to stand trail, the court will often exclude them from testifying.
- Competence to Confess (Juveniles/Adults)
- Criminal Responsibility/Insanity Defense Evaluations
- Criminal responsibility evaluations call into question whether the defendant was competent when the crime took place. This is the most mis-understood evaluation among the general population. It is often mistaken for the plea of insanity.
These are just some of the many offerings of Dr. Deloney. Come and see her for any of your competency issues, court counseling or even to help determine child custody agreements.