People v. Blue

We are asked to review the acceptance by a trial court of the plea of "guilty but mentally ill” of a criminal charge where there was less than strict compliance with procedural requirements laid down by statute.

In this case, there were two procedural defects. First, although the prosecutor and the trial court had timely actual notice that defendant Blue would assert an insanity-type defense, the formal notice contemplated by the statute was not filed. Second, although it appears that the prosecutor and defense counsel each had a copy of the report of a psychiatric examination ordered by the…