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Constitutional Law Keyed to Choper
Ford v. Wainwright
Citation:
477 U.S. 399 (1986)Facts
Alvin Bernard Ford was convicted of murder in 1974 and sentenced to death in Florida. There was no suggestion that he was incompetent at the time of his offense, trial, or sentencing. However, in early 1982, Ford began to manifest gradual changes in behavior, developing increasingly bizarre delusions. He became obsessed with the Ku Klux Klan and believed he was the target of a complex conspiracy. His condition deteriorated to the point where he referred to himself as “Pope John Paul III” and believed he had appointed new justices to the Florida Supreme Court. Psychiatric evaluations indicated he suffered from “Paranoid Schizophrenia With Suicide Potential.” When Florida’s procedures for determining competency were invoked, the Governor appointed three psychiatrists who interviewed Ford for approximately 30 minutes in a group setting. Despite conflicting diagnoses, they agreed Ford was competent to be executed under Florida law. The Governor signed Ford’s death warrant without explanation, and Ford’s attorneys were not permitted to meaningfully participate in the competency determination process or submit additional evidence.
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