A South Carolina judge has permitted an execution to proceed, concluding that the man’s beliefs, such as the idea that most laws are unconstitutional and that citizens have an absolute right to defend their property to the death, do not indicate mental incompetence.
Steven Bixby, 58, faced execution in May for the 2003 killings of two police officers until the state Supreme Court intervened to assess his mental competency. A lower court was tasked with determining if his views on the legal system compromised his lawyers’ ability to defend him.
The recent ruling by Judge R. Scott Sprouse temporarily sanctions the execution. Addressing concerns about Bixby’s legal representation, Scott noted that Bixby cooperates with his lawyers and the psychiatrists evaluating him.
The judge stated that, although Bixby “frequently disagrees with counsel and expresses skepticism about their approach in this case, the evidence indicates he comprehends their role, understands the rationale behind the competency process, and can decide whether or not to work with them.”
A judge ruled that Steven Bixby’s beliefs, including that most laws are unconstitutional, do not prove he is mentally incompetent. (AP)
In his court motion, Bixby reiterated his enduring belief that his family was justified in killing Wilson as the deputy was involved in efforts to seize their land.
The handwritten motion came after the judge held a hearing last month to determine if Bixby was mentally competent for execution.
During the hearing, Bixby’s attorneys argued that he believes the U.S. legal system is unconstitutional and flawed, leading him to withhold information that could help avert his execution. Prosecutors maintained that Bixby’s beliefs are shared by others and that he understands the state’s motivations for carrying out his execution.
An expert called by Bixby’s lawyers said the isolation of prison has only made his beliefs more delusional and that Bixby is stuck in his mindset.
The judge said Steven Bixby cooperates with his legal team and the psychiatrists who treat and question him. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)
The judge highlighted that two of the experts called by the state have been dealing with Bixby since shortly after the killings and that while Bixby has previously been angry with their testimony about his mental state, he understands they need to do their job.
The state’s experts testified that Bixby is not going to abandon his beliefs about the legal system and that he views himself in some ways as a martyr prepared to die for his beliefs if his appeals fail. They said Bixby believes he will see his parents again in heaven.
The psychiatrist who sees and treats death row inmates in South Carolina said Bixby described his mental state to him as: “I’m not crazy. I’m not a mental health case. I may be an [expletive], but I’m not crazy.”
Bixby was out of regular appeals when the state Supreme Court halted his execution in March.
