Legal analysis from Dean's Law Dictionary will be displayed here.

This section contains the nature of the case and procedural background.

Ford (D) was convicted of murder in 1974 and sentenced to death. In 1982, D began to exhibit bizarre patterns of behavior. A psychiatrist examined him over an 18-month period and concluded that D suffered from a severe, uncontrollable, mental disease that closely resembled Paranoid Schizophrenia severe enough to substantially affect D's present ability to assist in his defense. Another doctor saw D and concluded that D had no understanding of why he was being executed. That doctor also concluded that there was no reasonable possibility that D was dissembling, malingering, or otherwise putting on a performance. Procedures were instituted to determine the competency of D according to Florida statute 922.07. The three doctors who examined D over a 30-minute period all concluded that he understood the death penalty and why it was being imposed. All three produced different diagnoses during the 30-minute interview. The Governor signed D's death warrant. D sought a writ of habeas corpus.

The legal issues presented in this case will be displayed here.

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