Supreme Court decides Drope v. Missouri, extending the mid-trial competency duty

The Supreme Court unanimously reversed James Drope's rape conviction in Drope v. Missouri, 420 U.S. 162, holding that a trial court's duty to inquire into a defendant's competency extends to events occurring during trial, not just to pre-trial evidence. The Missouri trial court had continued proceedings despite a pretrial psychiatric report raising competency concerns, testimony from Drope's wife about his bizarre behavior, and a mid-trial suicide attempt that kept Drope hospitalized while the jury convicted him in his absence. The Court held that the cumulative evidence created sufficient doubt to require the trial court to suspend proceedings and conduct a competency evaluation.