Supreme Court Rules in Sanity Case

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that even if a criminal defendant is mentally competent to stand trial, he might not have the right to act as his own lawyer.

The court ruled in the case of a man in Indianapolis who suffered from schizophrenia, and was convicted of attempted murder and other charges. He challenged his conviction on the grounds the judge violated his right to self-representation.

Indiana appeals courts agreed with him, but on Thursday the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that states can give the trial judge the authority to block someone from acting as his own lawyer.