State ex rel. Nelson v. District Court of the Second Judicial District ex rel. County of Silver Bow

566 P.2d 1382, 173 Mont. 221, 1977 Mont. LEXIS 662
CourtMontana Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 26, 1977
DocketNos. 13844 and 13855
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 566 P.2d 1382 (State ex rel. Nelson v. District Court of the Second Judicial District ex rel. County of Silver Bow) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Montana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State ex rel. Nelson v. District Court of the Second Judicial District ex rel. County of Silver Bow, 566 P.2d 1382, 173 Mont. 221, 1977 Mont. LEXIS 662 (Mo. 1977).

Opinion

MR. JUSTICE HARRISON

delivered the opinion of the Court.

Defendant Theodore Nelson, charged with the crime of deliberate homicide, and the state of 'Montana, by John G. Winston, County Attorney, Silver Bow County, petition for separate writs of supervisory control. Because petitioners are adversaries in the same criminal proceeding, the issues raised by these petitions were combined for argument before this Court and both will be decided pursuant to this opinion.

On January 4, 1977 an Information was filed in the district court, Silver Bow County, charging defendant with deliberate homicide under section 94-5-102(l)(a), R.C.M.1947. Defendant plead not guilty and filed a timely notice of intent to rely on the affirmative defense of mental disease or defect. He was admitted to bail after examination by William N. Alexander, M.D., whom defendant had hired to conduct such examination. On January 17, 1977, pursuant to stipulation of counsel, the district court ordered defendant be admitted to Warm Springs State Hospital for psychiatric examination and evaluation in accordance with section 95-505, R.C.M.1947. Defendant was examined again by Dr. Alexander in his capacity as Clinical Director and Chief of Forensic Medicine at the Montana State Hospital at Warm Springs. Dr. Alexander submitted his report to the court on April 6, 1977. The report stated, in pertinent part:

“Patient is aware of the nature of the charges against him and is able to assist his lawyer in his own defense. He is also able to appreciate the criminality of the charges. At the time of the incident which led to the present charges it is felt that the patient was unable to conduct himself according to the requirements of the law because he had reached the climax of a severe adjustment [224]*224reaction which had temporarily assumed psychotic proportions. At that point he was unable to have a particular state of mind which is an element of the offense charged. * * *”

Upon receipt of this report defendant filed a motion for acquittal by reason of mental disease or defect, and a hearing was held. At the hearing Dr. Alexander testified in his opinion defendant was unable to appreciate the criminality of his conduct or to conform his conduct to the requirements of law at the time of the killing. The state called no rebuttal witnesses, but cross-examined Dr. Alexander extensively regarding the factual basis for his diagnosis and the subjective nature of a psychological examination. Dr. Alexander stated his diagnosis was based upon the facts surrounding the incident as related to him by defendant, and while he thought defendant was telling the truth, his diagnosis could change if the facts were not as defendant claimed them to be. He also stated it was possible, though unlikely, that his opinion would be disputed by his colleagues.

The district court found:

“That the question of whether defendant was aware or unaware of his actions or whether he was able or unable to have a particular state of mind at the designated moment is disputable”.

The court denied the motion for acquittal.

Did the district court err in denying defendant’s motion for acquittal? Defendant argues that'under section 95-503(a), R.C.M. 1947, he need only prove mental disease or defect excluding responsibility by a preponderance of the evidence, and the only evidence before the court, the testimony of Dr. Alexander, clearly establishes this proof.

The structure for the procedure in question is set out in section 95-507(1), R.C.M.1947:

“If the report filed under section 95-505 finds that the defendant at the time of the criminal conduct charged suffered from a mental disease or defect which rendered him unable to appreciate the criminality of his conduct or to conform his conduct to the [225]*225requirements of law, and the court, after a hearing if a hearing is requested by the attorney prosecuting or the defendant, is satisfied that the mental disease or defect was sufficient to exclude responsibility, the court on motion of the defendant shall enter judgment of acquittal on the ground of mental disease or defect excluding responsibility.”

This Court has previously discussed the purpose of section 95-507(1). In State ex rel. Krutzfeldt v. District Court, 163 Mont. 164, 170, 515 P.2d 1312, 1315, the Court noted: -

“* * * the Revised Commission Comment to section 95-507, R.C.M.1947, in regard to subdivision (a), states in part:

‘Under subdivision (a) in cases of extreme mental disease or defect where the exclusion of responsibility is clear, trial can be avoided and the defendant immediately committed as irresponsible.’

“That comment makes it clear that if, in the judge’s opinion and after a hearing if requested by either attorney, a defendant was clearly suffering from mental disease at the time of the crime then the judge can acquit the defendant and have him committed to a state institution forthwith. The purpose is plain — to avoid a costly trial where the mental defect is plain and obvious. * * *”

At this stage of the process, then, the question is not one of the preponderance of the evidence, but whether the exclusion of criminal responsibility due to mental disease or defect is “plain and obvious”. If it is not plain and obvious, a trial should be conducted and the trier of fact can determine the preponderance of the evidence. The summary procedure outlined by section 95-507 was never designed to replace the trial where the issue of criminal responsibility is disputable. In Krutzfeldt this Court held this procedure does not preclude a defendant from raising the defense of mental disease or defect at trial. 'Such a holding would be unnecessary if the standard of proof at the hearing was equivalent to the standard at trial.

Defendant argues he is entitled to acquittal as a matter of law under the authority of State ex rel. Main v. District Court, 164 [226]*226Mont. 501, 525 P.2d 28. Main is deceptively similar to the instant case, but there are critical differences. In Main, relator filed a motion to dismiss on the grounds of mental disease or defect and a hearing was held under section 95-507, R.C.M.1947. Dr. M. F. Gracia testified relator was not responsible at the time of the criminal conduct charged. The only doubt was cast by another psychiatrist, Dr. Moisey, who testified that, in his opinion, relator was not so mentally disturbed he did not know what he was doing. However, he admitted he was unable to determine relator’s state of mind at the time of the incident, and this Court held Dr. Moisey’s testimony was thereby rendered incompetent and thus raised no factual issue. There was no doubt cast upon the testimony of Dr. Gracia, except for the incompetent testimony of Dr. Moisey, so relator was entitled to an acquittal as a matter of law. We noted the persuasive basis for Dr. Gracia’s opinion in Main:

“* * * Dr.

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Related

State v. Haag
578 P.2d 740 (Montana Supreme Court, 1978)
State v. Hagerud
570 P.2d 1131 (Montana Supreme Court, 1977)

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Bluebook (online)
566 P.2d 1382, 173 Mont. 221, 1977 Mont. LEXIS 662, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-nelson-v-district-court-of-the-second-judicial-district-ex-mont-1977.