Supreme Court of Missouri / Jan 14, 2020
State ex rel. Michael Kelly, Petitioner, vs. Julie Inman, Respondent.
Michael Kelly sought a writ of habeas corpus, arguing the circuit court violated his due process rights by accepting his not guilty by mental disease or defect (NGRI) plea after finding him incompetent to proceed with criminal proceedings. The Missouri Supreme Court agreed, holding that the circuit court exceeded its authority under section 552.020.8, RSMo, by accepting the plea instead of suspending proceedings and committing Kelly for mental health evaluation. The Court vacated Kelly's NGRI plea and ordered the circuit court to conduct a new examination within 90 days to determine his fitness to proceed.