Have they specifically said competency eval? Competency evaluations only are to access the defendant's competency to participate in the case. I used to work with them in the court system by meeting with the defendant, scheduling the exam, get updates from the facility director, obtaining results and deliver the findings to the Judge. The are usually conducted by a state facility (they can be horrible). If someone is found to be incompetent they are held and treated until they become competent and can return to the jail and participate in the case. It's very different from an insanity plea which is very hard to prove. IMO and solely based on experience AF did not show signs of incompetency at all. Although detoxing, facing reality, and his current circumstance he may need psychiatric treatment and medication especially if he has had previous diagnosis's. AF should have knowledge of the competency process and what it means. I can't help but think if this is a competency eval he would have to be incompetent to go along with it because it doesn't get you your case dismissed (unless he is in a serious mental downhill spiral that can't be treated in 6 months) and the environment can be 100 times worse then the jail OR prison. I wouldn't want to go there to save my life! That's the place where you can be forced to take medication if you aren't compliant, be restrained, not to mention the other patients). My mother worked at one and had to quit because it was terrifying.
