Milton Dusky Case Study
The roots of competency restoration began with the landmark legal case Dusky v United States (1960). Milton Dusky, a 33-year old white male, diagnosed with schizophrenia, was arrested for accessory to kidnapping, and rape of a juvenile female. Although he was suffering from symptoms of his schizophrenia at the time of the arrest and trial, and a testimony from a psychiatrist stated that he was “unable to properly understand the proceedings against him and unable to adequately assist counsel in his defense”, he was still found guilty, and convicted. His lawyers filed an appeal, saying that Dusky was not competent at the time of his conviction, and subsequently that the conviction be reversed. After reviewing the evidence, the court ruled