Cade v. State

375 So. 2d 802, 364 So. 2d 1190, 1978 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 1448
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedNovember 21, 1978
Docket4 Div. 640
StatusPublished

This text of 375 So. 2d 802 (Cade v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cade v. State, 375 So. 2d 802, 364 So. 2d 1190, 1978 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 1448 (Ala. Ct. App. 1978).

Opinion

HARRIS, Presiding Judge.

The grand jury of Geneva County indicted appellant for the capital murder of L. D. Sizemore who at the time of his death was the Sheriff of that county.

The indictment was brought under the provisions of Section 13-ll-2(a)(5), which reads as follows:

“(5) The murder of any police officer, sheriff, deputy, state trooper or peace officer of any kind, or prison or jail guard while such prison or jail guard is on duty or because of some official or job related act or performance of such officer or guard.”

Omitting the formal parts the indictment alleges:

“Count 1
“The Grand Jury of said County charge that before the finding of this Indictment, Clyde Cade, unlawfully and with malice aforethought killed L. D. Size-more, a sheriff, to-wit: the Sheriff of Geneva County, Alabama by shooting him with a gun or pistol,
“Count 2
“The Grand Jury of Geneva County, Alabama further charge that before the finding of this indictment, Clyde Cade, unlawfully and with malice aforethought killed L. D. Sizemore, a sheriff to-wit: the sheriff of Geneva County, Alabama, because of an official or job related act or [804]*804performance of such officer, to-wit: the arrest of the said Clyde Cade, by shooting him with a gun or pistol,
“Count 3
“The Grand Jury of Geneva County, Alabama, further charge that before the finding of this indictment, Clyde Cade did murder a sheriff, to-wit: L. D. Sizemore, the sheriff of Geneva County, Alabama, because of an official or job related act or performance, to-wit: investigating a complaint involving the said Clyde Cade, against the peace and dignity of the State of Alabama.”

Appellant filed a motion for a psychiatric examination, alleging that he was unable to understand the proceedings against him and properly assist in his own defense. Following an evidentiary hearing, the Geneva County Circuit Court granted appellant’s motion, ruling that he be examined at Sear-cy Hospital “for such length of time as is necessary to determine the mental condition of the defendant so far as it respects his criminal responsibility or competency to stand trial.”

In compliance with the court’s order, an examination of appellant was conducted. Officials at Searcy Hospital returned the following report to the court:

“October 21, 1977
“Honorable P. B. McLauchlin, Jr., Judge
“Circuit Court of Geneva County, Alabama
“Geneva, Alabama 36340
“RE: CADE, Clyde
Our File # 11 29 45
“Dear Judge McLauchlin:
“We are writing with reference to Clyde Cade reportedly a 49 year old separated black male who was admitted to Searcy Hospital for the first admission September 14, 1977 under your commitment order dated the 13th day of September, 1977 with information that he was ordered committed to the State of Alabama, Department of Mental Health for such length of time as necessary to determine the mental condition of the defendant so far as it respects his criminal responsibility or competency to stand trial. It was further ordered that the officials of Searcy Hospital place Clyde Cade under observation and examination with the view of determining the mental condition of the defendant and the existence of any mental disease or defect which would affect his present criminal responsibility or his criminal responsibility at the time of the commission of the alleged crime.
“Post-admission evaluation, including physical examination, mental status examination, social history study, psychological examination, psychiatric evaluation and neurological evaluation, has been completed and we are submitting the following report of our findings.
“Psychological examination revealed an intellectual functioning level that falls within the low average range. Testing suggested some socio-cultural and educational deprivation and possible organicity. Mild deficits were noted in general information, vocabulary and comprehension. Memory, reasoning and abstraction were in the average range. Mild retardation was noted on tasks requiring visual-motor coordination. Testing for organicity revealed mild to borderline neurological deficits probably stemming from a history of trauma to head. Despite these mild deficits, the examiner reported that the patient has adequately compensated and his psychological functioning is not significantly impaired. Projective tests were suggestive of hostility, emotional liability and acting out tendencies. The examiner reported there was not much evidence for thought disorder or psychotic type of thinking disturbance. However, the examiner reported that the patient does show distrustful attitudes, and persecuto-ry ideas and feels victimized. Personality data revealed a self-centered, passive-aggressive rebellious individual who apparently failed to learn socialized behaviors from earlier mistakes. Emotionally the examiner described the patient as shallow, immature and unpredictable. The examiner states that the patient feels easily slighted and may react with vio[805]*805lence when his adequacy is threatened. The examiner states that the patient’s capacity for guilt and remorse seems limited and that he is likely to project blame on others for his problems. His social judgment and insight into difficulties were thought to be less than adequate. His major defense mechanisms were denial, projection and acting out. Overall profile was suggestive of antisocial personality disorder with superficial passive-aggressive features. Due to the char-acterological nature of his coping, the examiner reported that prognosis is very guarded.
“Initial psychiatric evaluation revealed speech to be fairly low, fairly clear and of moderate speed. His affect was somewhat theatrical, labile and very euphoric. No aberrations of thought were evident although the patient stated that he hears voices and he said that this scares him and then he laughed broadly and glanced about the room, according to the report of the examiner. Reality contact appeared fairly good. Associations appeared quite tight and the patient appeared in control although there was profuse tangential verbal output. Sensori-um appeared clear. Monetary calculations were fairly slow. Memory in general appeared to be extremely good as the patient gave explicit details but these were not corroborated. Proverb interpretations were fairly good. The examiner stated that it was very difficult to assess his insight at the time of the initial interview. Judgment by history was described as poor. Intellectual capacity appeared average or above although there was thought to be some socio-cultural deprivation. Diagnosis was deferred at the time of the initial evaluation and it was recommended that we refer the patient for a complete organic work-up. “Neurological evaluation revealed a normal EEG and a normal skull x-ray. The neurological consultation impression revealed little evidence of any type of memory problem, according to the consultant neurologist. The consultant also reported that he was very skeptical that this man has any kind of post concussive syndrome which might account for actions which he would not remember and/or be responsible for.

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Bluebook (online)
375 So. 2d 802, 364 So. 2d 1190, 1978 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 1448, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cade-v-state-alacrimapp-1978.