Jared Loughner Ruled Incompetent to Stand Trial
Posted on Wed May 25, 2011 at 07:36:27 PM EST
Tags: Jared Loughner (all tags)
The experts and the Judge agree: Jared Loughner is mentally incompetent to stand trial.
What's next? He goes to the federal medical center at Springfield, MO for up to four months where they will medicate him and try to make him competent. If it works, he'll stand trial. If not:
If he isn't deemed competent at the end of his treatment, Loughner's stay at the facility can be extended. There are no limits on the number of times such extensions can be granted.
If the Judge decides at some point it's unlikely he can be restored to competency, the charges could be dismissed. He's still unlikely to be released. [More...]
In that case, state and federal authorities can petition to have Loughner civilly committed and could seek to extend that commitment repeatedly, said Heather Williams, a federal public defender in Tucson who isn't involved in the Loughner case.
Incompetency is not the same thing as insanity. Incompetency means he can't understand the nature of the charges, the proceedings or assist in his own defense.
According to the AP, Loughner apparently thinks Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is dead. He had an outburst and court and seemed to say that. The AP has ordered a transcript.
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