DIMENSIONS OF INCOMPETENCY - A FACTOR-ANALYTIC STUDY OF THE GEORGIA COURT COMPETENCE TEST

The Georgia Court Competency Test (GCCT) was developed to systematical ly evaluate knowledge and skids needed to be competent to stand trial. Previous research has identified three factors measured by the GCCT: General Legal Knowledge, Courtroom Layout, and Specific Legal Knowledg e. In this study, 125 mentally disordered offenders were examined usin g the GCCT. Confirmatory factor analysis failed to confirm the previou sly identified model. As a result, the authors advocate modifying the clinical use of the GCCT. Specifically, they suggest employing the GCC T as a checklist to identify potential deficits requiring more compreh ensive evaluation.