Lead Opinion
Appeal from a judgment of the County Court of Fulton County, rendered March 5, 1973, convicting defendant, on his plea of guilty, of rape in the first degree. Defendant, indicted for two counts of burglary in the first degree and for rape in the first, second and third degrees, pleaded guilty, during trial and while represented by an attorney, to rape in the first degree in full satisfaction of the indictment. Proof had been submitted that defendant entered a Johnstown, New York, home during the early morning of August 10, 1972 and, brandishing a knife and threatening its use, engaged in sexual intercourse with a 12-year-old child residing therein. Prior to trial and following two days of Huntley hearing testimony, the court concluded that defendant knowingly and intelligently waived his rights and that it was proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the challenged admissions and signed statements were made voluntarily and were therefore admissible. An order filed December 29, 1972 directed that the Superintendent of the Utica State Hospital cause an examination of defendant’s mental condition to be made and that he designate two qualified psychiatrists from said hospital staff for such purpose. An order filed January 12, 1973 directed that defendant be committed to said hospital for treatment, observation, examination and report as to his physical and mental condition. Although it appears that these decrees were never complied with, no explanation being given, he was taken to the Fulton County Mental Health Clinic and there examined by one psychiatrist, Dr. Rockmore (see CPL 730.10, 730.20), who found that defendant was fully competent to understand the nature of his activities and that clinically he was competent and not suffering from any mental disorder. Under normal circumstances, defendant, by not objecting and by not bringing the noncompliance with the orders to the court’s attention, did not preserve the issue for appeal {People v. Hicks, 287 N. Y. 165, 174; People v. Weis, 32 A D 2d 856, cert, den. 397 U. S. 1047; see CPL 470.05, subd. 2), and, by pleading guilty, waived his right to object to the failure to conform to the orders, a nonjurisdietional matter (cf. People v. Lynn, 28 N Y 2d 196, 201-202; People v. Sehiskey, 39 A D 2d 608), providing the plea was intelligent and voluntary (see Boykin V. Alabama, 395 U. S. 238, 242). In determining at this juncture whether defendant voluntarily, knowingly and intelligently waived his constitutional rights prior to executing the written statements, the appropriate test is a consideration of the totality of the circumstances {People v. Chaffee, 42. A D 2d 172). The Sheriff, who was present at the interrogation, testified that
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting). A defendant does not have an absolute right to a psychiatric examination (CPL 730.30, subd. 1) nor did such a right exist under the predecessor provision of the Code of Criminal Procedure (United States ex rel. Donaldson v. Henderson, 346 F. Supp. 749). It is within the trial court’s discretion whether or not to order an examination of a defendant (People v. Falu, 37 A D 2d 1025). Once, however, the provisions of CPL article 730 are invoked by the trial court at its own instance or by the grant of a motion of a defendant, it is incumbent upon the court to carefully adhere to the statutory provisions. CPL 730.20 (subd. 1) requires that the appropriate director to whom a criminal court issues an order of examination “ must designate two qualified psychiatrists, of whom he may be one, to examine the defendant to determine if he is an incapacitated person, except that if the director is of the opinion that the defendant may be mentally defective, he may designate one qualified psychiatrist and one certified psychologist to examine the defendant” (emphasis added). This provision is very clear, as is the entirety of article 730, and nowhere therein is there an exception to the requirement that there be two examiners. Having in this case formed an opinion that defendant may be an incapacitated person, the court ordered that he be taken to Utica State Hospital to be examined by two qualified psychiatrists designated by the superintendent of the facility. In fact, there was only one examination which took place at the Fulton County Mental Health Clinic by a psychiatrist. To proceed with the criminal prosecution on this single psychiatric examination was a violation of CPL 730.20 (subd. 1) as well as the court’s own order. (A defendant who was directed to be examined by two psychiatrists but who was in fact subjected to a single examination refused to answer questions of the
