There are many different types of competency; competency to stand trial, competency to plead guilty, competency to be executed, etc. Today we focus on competency to waive your right to an attorney and represent yourself at trial; aka Pro Se competency.
Read Appellate (2008) and Morris & Frisson (2008). Then, using in-text parenthetical citations from those readings, respond to the following:
1. What is “Pro Se”? What does Pro Se mean, and what Constitutional protection is someone waiving when they choose to go Pro Se?
2. Explain Faretta v. California. What is the importance of the ruling in Faretta v. California?
3. Explain Godinez v. Moran. What is the importance of the ruling in Godinez v. Moran?
4. Explain Indiana v. Edwards. What is the importance of the ruling in Indiana v. Edwards?
5. What sort of tasks are involved in going Pro Se? That is, what is a defendant evaluated for when considering if they can go Pro Se? What would you say is the “minimum criteria” to be allowed to go Pro Se?
