Donald Keith Smith v. State of Mississippi

ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI

CHANDLER, Justice,

for the Court:

¶ 1. Under Uniform Rule of Circuit and County Court Practice 9.06, a mental evaluation and competency hearing are mandatory if the trial court has a reasonable ground to believe the defendant is incompetent to stand trial. URCCC 9.06. Before Donald Keith Smith entered a guilty plea in the Circuit Court of Jackson County, the trial court ordered a mental evaluation of Smith that never was performed. The record is silent as to the reason the trial court ordered the mental evaluation. We granted Smith’s petition for certiorari on his…