In this chapter, (1) 'affirmative defense' has the meaning given in AS 11.81.900(b); (2) 'assist in the defendant's own defense' means to consult with a lawyer while exercising a reasonable degree of rational functioning; (3) 'culpable mental state' has the meaning given in AS 11.81.900(b); (4) 'incompetent' means a defendant is unable to understand the proceedings against the defendant or to assist in the defendant's own defense; (5) 'mental disease or defect' means a disorder of thought or mood that substantially impairs judgment, behavior, capacity to recognize reality, or ability to cope with the ordinary demands of life; 'mental disease or defect' also includes intellectual and developmental disabilities that result in significantly below average general intellectual functioning that impairs a person's ability to adapt to or cope with the ordinary demands of life; (6) 'understand the proceedings against the defendant' means that the defendant's elementary mental process is such that the defendant has a reasonably rational comprehension of the proceedings.
Alaska Legal Code