During arraignment, a defendant behaves bizarrely, fails to respond to the judge's questions, and shouts obscenities. The judge orders an evaluation by a forensic nurse examiner. Which information provided by the examiner will be most important to the Court at this time?
A) The defendant's mental state at the time of the crime
B) The defendant's competence to proceed with trial
C) The cause of the defendant's courtroom behavior
D) The defendant's history and cognitive abilities

Question

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Competence to proceed refers to one's capacity to assist the attorney and understand legal proceedings. In the United States, no one is tried unless deemed competent. An incompetent individual is remanded to a locked facility for treatment to regain competency. The Court will desire a full assessment of the patient's present mental state related to his ability to assist in his own defense, but at this time, the Court is not interested in his state of mind at the time of the original crime nor his history.

During Arraignment, a Defendant Behaves Bizarrely, Fails to Respond to the Judge's