Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas

Ronald Alcott, Appellant v. the State of Texas

June 27, 20012001 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 53

Summary

The Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the Court of Appeals' decision that the appropriate standard to trigger a competency inquiry under Article 46.02, §2(b) is the "bona fide doubt" standard. The majority held that the evidence presented did not raise such a doubt, so the trial court was not required to hold a competency inquiry. Concurring opinions by Justices Price and WOMACK clarified the two‑stage competency process and reiterated the distinction between the "bona fide doubt" threshold and the "some evidence" standard for a jury hearing.