On February 5th, Texas is scheduled to execute Scott Panetti, a mentally-ill man who defended himself at his trial despite the fact that he suffers from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Panetti was convicted of killing his parents-in-law in 1992, several years after he was first diagnosed with schizophrenia. He was hospitalized for mental illness in numerous facilities before the crime. Evidence suggests that Panetti was psychotic at the time of the shootings, and that he may not have been competent to stand trial when he did. When he served as his own attorney at trial, Panetti dressed as a cowboy and presented an often rambling narrative in his defense. His trial has been described by various lawyers, doctors and family members who attended as a “circus,” a “joke,” a “farce,” “not moral,” and a “mockery.” (Amnesty International Report, January 16, 2004) Read Amnesty International’s Report on Scott Panetti and mental illness. See Mental Illness.