Section 730.30. Fitness to proceed; order of examination  


Latest version.
  • 1.    At  any  time  after a defendant is arraigned upon an accusatory
      instrument other than a felony complaint and before  the  imposition  of
      sentence,  or  at  any time after a defendant is arraigned upon a felony
      complaint and before he is held for the action of the  grand  jury,  the
      court  wherein  the  criminal  action  is pending must issue an order of
      examination when it is of the opinion  that  the  defendant  may  be  an
      incapacitated person.
        2.  When the examination reports submitted to the court show that each
      psychiatric  examiner  is  of  the  opinion that the defendant is not an
      incapacitated person, the court  may,  on  its  own  motion,  conduct  a
      hearing  to  determine  the  issue  of  capacity,  and it must conduct a
      hearing upon motion  therefor  by  the  defendant  or  by  the  district
      attorney.    If  no  motion  for  a hearing is made, the criminal action
      against the defendant must proceed.  If, following a hearing, the  court
      is  satisfied  that  the  defendant  is not an incapacitated person, the
      criminal action against him  must  proceed;  if  the  court  is  not  so
      satisfied,  it  must issue a further order of examination directing that
      the defendant be examined by different psychiatric examiners  designated
      by the director.
        3.  When the examination reports submitted to the court show that each
      psychiatric  examiner  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  defendant  is an
      incapacitated person, the court  may,  on  its  own  motion,  conduct  a
      hearing  to  determine  the  issue  of capacity and it must conduct such
      hearing upon motion  therefor  by  the  defendant  or  by  the  district
      attorney.
        4.   When the examination reports submitted to the court show that the
      psychiatric examiners are not unanimous in their opinion as  to  whether
      the  defendant  is  or  is  not  an  incapacitated  person,  or when the
      examination reports submitted  to  the  superior  court  show  that  the
      psychiatric  examiners  are not unanimous in their opinion as to whether
      the defendant is or is not a dangerous incapacitated person,  the  court
      must   conduct   a  hearing  to  determine  the  issue  of  capacity  or
      dangerousness.