Karl D. Roberts, Appellant v. State of Arkansas, Appellee

Summary

The court held that the circuit court clearly erred in finding that Roberts, who has schizophrenia and whose psychotic symptoms affected his decision-making, was competent to choose between life and death and knowingly and intelligently waive postconviction relief. It therefore reversed and remanded for postconviction proceedings. The court rejected Roberts's challenge to the sufficiency of the circuit court's findings, referred the question of mandatory postconviction review in capital cases to the Committee on Criminal Practice, and declined to reach the solid-footing issue. Chief Justice Brill and Justice Goodson, dissenting, would have affirmed or remanded for more specific circuit-court findings rather than having the appellate court resolve competency from the existing record.