California · Penal Code

PEN §1367: (a) A person shall not be tried or adjudged to punishment or have their probation, mandatory supervision, postrelease community supervision, or parole revoked while that person is mentally incompetent

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

This statute establishes procedures for handling cases where a defendant is mentally incompetent to stand trial due to mental health disorder or developmental disability, preventing prosecution or punishment until competency is restored.

Read the full statutory text

(a) A person shall not be tried or adjudged to punishment or have their probation, mandatory supervision, postrelease community supervision, or parole revoked while that person is mentally incompetent. A defendant is mentally incompetent for purposes of this chapter if, as a result of a mental health disorder or developmental disability, the defendant is unable to understand the nature of the criminal proceedings or to assist counsel in the conduct of a defense in a rational manner. (b) Section 1370 applies to a person who is charged with a felony or alleged to have violated the terms of probation for a felony or mandatory supervision and is incompetent as a result of a mental health disorder. Section 1370.01 applies to a person who is charged with a misdemeanor or misdemeanors only, or a violation of formal or informal probation for a misdemeanor, and the judge finds reason to believe that the defendant has a mental health disorder, and may, as a result of the mental health disorder, be incompetent to stand trial. Section 1370.1 applies to a person who is incompetent as a result of a developmental disability and applies to a person who is incompetent as a result of a mental health disorder, but also has a developmental disability. Section 1370.02 applies to a person alleged to have violated the terms of the person’s postrelease community supervision or parole.

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