§ 5-2-304 - Notice requirement. - Arkansas Statutes

5-2-304. Notice requirement.

(a) When a defendant intends to raise mental disease or defect as a defense in a prosecution or put in issue his or her fitness to proceed, the defendant shall notify the prosecutor and the court at the earliest practicable time.

(b) (1) Failure to notify the prosecutor within a reasonable time before the trial date entitles the prosecutor to a continuance that for limitation purposes is deemed an excluded period granted on application of the defendant.

(2) Alternatively, in lieu of suspending any further proceedings under 5-2-305, the court may order the immediate examination of the defendant at a designated receiving facility or program by a qualified psychiatrist or a qualified psychologist.