People v. Rice

Following a bench trial, defendant, Gerald Rice (Rice), was convicted of arson, aggravated arson, and four counts of murder. The trial judge sentenced him to life imprisonment. On appeal, Rice argues that: (1) the trial judge erred by failing to sua sponte hold a hearing regarding Rice’s competency to stand trial; (2) trial counsel’s failure to request an evidentiary hearing on Rice’s competency to stand trial constituted ineffective assistance of counsel; (3) the trial court erred in finding that Rice knowingly and intelligently waived his Miranda rights before giving a statement; and (4)…