Supreme Court ends indefinite incompetency commitment in Jackson v. Indiana

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Jackson v. Indiana, 406 U.S. 715, that Indiana violated due process and equal protection by committing Theon Jackson — a deaf mute with the mental capacity of a pre-school child — indefinitely to a state institution solely because he could not be tried on two petty robbery charges. The Court held that a defendant found incompetent to stand trial may be held only for the reasonable period necessary to determine whether competency can be restored in the foreseeable future. If restoration is not achievable, the state must either initiate standard civil commitment proceedings or release the defendant.