People v. Jackson

*376 Patrick Jackson appeals his conviction and sentence for one count of lewd contact with a minor, arguing the trial court erroneously found him competent to stand trial before taking his guilty plea and again before sentencing him. After the trial court acknowledged a doubt about his competency and committed him to Patton State Hospital, numerous psychologists found him incompetent to stand trial and unlikely to be restored to competency because he *428 suffers from a stable developmental disability-mild mental retardation-which limits his capacity for understanding and communication.

However, in early 2010, hospital staff changed their minds after drilling Jackson until he could answer simple, concrete questions about the judicial system. In February 2010, the trial court found Jackson competent based on their new report and then accepted his guilty plea. Before he could be sentenced, though, new psychological evaluations reported Jackson denied his guilt and did not understand he had pled guilty, and questioned the basis of the report finding him competent. In June 2010, the trial court found substantial evidence Jackson was incompetent.

Over a year later, and in the face…