---
title: "Pate v. Robinson"
citation: "Pate v. Robinson, 383 U.S. 375 (1966)"
authority_id: "AUTH-SCOTUS-PATE-383-US-375"
authority_type: "case"
jurisdiction: "federal_nationwide"
precedential_status: "binding"
official_url: "https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USREPORTS-383/pdf/USREPORTS-383-375.pdf"
url: "https://jason93.com/legal/federal-process/authorities/AUTH-SCOTUS-PATE-383-US-375/"
legal_review: "2026-08-25"
links_checked: "2026-10-15"
links_available: 1
links_checked_count: 1
license: "CC BY 4.0"
---

# Pate v. Robinson

## Holding used

Constitutionally sufficient doubt about competency triggers a hearing duty that cannot be defeated by treating the incompetent defendant as having waived it.

## Material limitation

The federal statutory reasonable-cause trigger and circuit descriptions of the record threshold must also be checked.

## Official source and pinpoints

383 U.S. 375, 384–86 (1966): <https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USREPORTS-383/pdf/USREPORTS-383-375.pdf>


## Used in

- [Competency, Insanity Procedure, and Speedy Trial](https://jason93.com/legal/federal-process/modules/20-pretrial/competency-insanity-and-speedy-trial.md)