Ake v. Oklahoma

Ake v. Oklahoma (1985) is a U.S. Supreme Court case that established defendants' right to have a mental health expert assist with their defense. In this case, Ake, accused of murder, requested a psychologist to evaluate his mental state for trial. The court ruled that states must provide such experts for indigent defendants if mental health evidence is relevant to their case. This decision emphasizes that fair trials require access to proper mental health evaluations when mental health issues may impact a defendant's guilt or innocence.