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Loughner's Mental Competence Is Doubted
Wall Street Journal ^ | May 15, 2011

Posted on 05/17/2011 10:26:40 AM PDT by La Lydia

Two federal court filings Monday in the criminal case of the man accused in the January shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 18 others in Tucson, Ariz., strongly suggest that two health professionals who evaluated his mental state have determined he isn't competent to stand trial, according to legal experts. The filings, one by the defense and one by the prosecution, indicate that a competency hearing for Jared Loughner scheduled in a Tucson federal court for May 25 could largely be a formality. Both filings agreed that the two doctors who evaluated Mr. Loughner wouldn't need to testify. The filings also said neither side would dispute the doctors' written reports.

If these reports, which are under seal, hadn't concluded Mr. Loughner was incompetent to stand trial, the defense would almost certainly be planning to put up a fight, experts said.

"My initial gut reaction would be that both have found him not competent to stand trial," said Kurt Altman, a former assistant U.S. attorney in the Phoenix office who isn't involved in the case. Mr. Altman said defense lawyers wouldn't object to a finding of incompetence since it would delay Mr. Loughner's trial. Mr. Loughner could face the death penalty...

A decision by Judge Larry Burns, who is presiding over the case, that Mr. Loughner was currently incompetent could postpone any trial of Mr. Loughner for months or even years, say legal experts.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; US: Arizona
KEYWORDS: giffords; ruleoflaw; shooting
But not too crazy to yell, "I take the Fifth" when he was arrested.
1 posted on 05/17/2011 10:26:51 AM PDT by La Lydia
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To: La Lydia

There was a time when he would have been hung the same day before sundown.

I long for days of swift justice.


2 posted on 05/17/2011 10:28:35 AM PDT by TSgt ("Some folks just need killin'" - Sling Blade (2006))
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To: La Lydia

When is Dupnik’s competency hearing scheduled?


3 posted on 05/17/2011 10:30:04 AM PDT by Joe 6-pack (Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
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To: La Lydia
Let's pass a law against being nuts!

That'll fix it.

It will need a Kucinich-exemption in it, though.

4 posted on 05/17/2011 10:32:51 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Islamophobia: The fear of offending Muslims because they are prone to violence.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

“Let’s pass a law against being nuts!”

Such a law, if enforced, would result in a LOT of empty seats in Congress and state legislatures...


5 posted on 05/17/2011 10:34:16 AM PDT by ZirconEncrustedTweezers (PAVE THE PLANET!!)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

What about all the talk of how he was inspired by Sarah Palin and gunsight targets on congressional districts?

What about all the talk of Arizona being ground zero for hatred and violence?

We’re discussing his mental state, when the liberals told us that we lack civility in our politics, people get pushed over the edge by talk radio and Sarah Palin, and Arizona was ground zero anyway for hatred and bigotry and all that? (sarcasm)


6 posted on 05/17/2011 10:36:25 AM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
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To: Dilbert San Diego
"What's the frequency, Kenneth?"

:)

7 posted on 05/17/2011 10:38:04 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Islamophobia: The fear of offending Muslims because they are prone to violence.)
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To: La Lydia

Of course it’s in doubt. He was born, bred, and raised a liberal, by liberals, to do the destruction that liberals defectives do to civilized order. Menaces to Society that they are.


8 posted on 05/17/2011 10:38:13 AM PDT by DGHoodini (Iran Azadi)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

If he’s not mentally capable of standing trial, he’s not mentally capable of being distressed as the euthanizing drugs shut his worthless shell down, in my opinion.

Insanity is no basis for mercy.


9 posted on 05/17/2011 10:40:46 AM PDT by Heavyrunner (Socialize this.)
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To: La Lydia

Thinking of the end of “10 to Midnight”

Warren Stacy: The courts say I’m crazy.......You can’t touch me....You’ll hear from me! You and the whole ....... world!
Leo Kessler (Charles Bronson): No, we won’t. *BLAM*


10 posted on 05/17/2011 10:41:33 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: La Lydia

It took two professionals to come up with that...I could have told them the day it happened.


11 posted on 05/17/2011 10:42:37 AM PDT by FrankR (A people that values its privileges above its principles will soon lose both.)
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To: Dilbert San Diego
What about all the talk of how he was inspired by Sarah Palin and gunsight targets on congressional districts?

Kind of all disappeared when we found out about his DailyKOS diary didn't it?
12 posted on 05/17/2011 10:53:18 AM PDT by GunningForTheBuddha (Bachman/West :: West/Bachman : whatever order I'd vote for them)
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To: FrankR
It took two professionals to come up with that...I could have told them the day it happened.

Agreed. I think the cards may have been tipped when he shot nineteen people.
13 posted on 05/17/2011 10:57:45 AM PDT by Renderofveils (My loathings are simple: stupidity, oppression, crime, cruelty, soft music. - Nabokov)
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To: FrankR

I could have guessed what they would say after I saw his picture. But, as I said, he wasn’t crazy enough to forget his 5th Amendment rights.


14 posted on 05/17/2011 10:58:27 AM PDT by La Lydia ("California: When the parasites outnumber the hosts, it's all over.")
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To: La Lydia

Of course he’s crazy...HE’S A LIBTARD!


15 posted on 05/17/2011 11:03:39 AM PDT by Lee'sGhost (Johnny Rico picked the wrong girl!)
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To: La Lydia

Blame the Supreme Court for this one... they made a valid claim of “mental illness” a “get out of the death penalty free” card.


16 posted on 05/17/2011 11:09:16 AM PDT by pnh102 (Regarding liberalism, always attribute to malice what you think can be explained by stupidity. - Me)
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To: Lee'sGhost

All socialists and statists are mentally ill.That doesn’t excuse the harm they do.


17 posted on 05/17/2011 11:15:13 AM PDT by hoosierham (Waddaya mean Freedom isn't free ?;will you take a credit card?)
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To: hoosierham

Did I say it did?


18 posted on 05/17/2011 5:50:38 PM PDT by Lee'sGhost (Johnny Rico picked the wrong girl!)
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