People v. Nagi

JUDGE LICHTENSTEIN

dissenting.

¶ 32 The majority recognizes that a trial court has broad discretion in deciding whether to refer a defendant for a competency evaluation. I take no issue with this premise. But, I believe this discretion is limited by a defendant’s constitutional right to self-representation.

¶ 33 In my view, the trial court here suspended the proceedings and referred defendant for a competency evaluation based on “the fact that [defendant] would want to represent [himself] in a case that the consequences to [him] can be an indeterminate life sentence with no legal training at…