Jared Loughner is incompetent to stand trial

[malaise]

A federal judge in Tuscon, AZ has ruled that accused gunman Jared Loughner is incompetent to stand trial.

According to the Baltimore Sun, this all but concludes, for now, the legal proceedings against Loughner in the January shooting spree that killed six people and left 13 wounded, including Gabrieklle Giffords.

Federal Judge Larry A. Burns examined reports on the mental health of the 22-year old defendant and ordered due process halted until Loughner were capable of understanding the charges against him and able to participate in his own defense.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/loughner-giffords-incompetent-trial-2011-5#ixzz1NPdCeZqo

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What do DUers think?

[Bubba Kush]

1. Well, he still has to answer for his crimes someday

So if he stays locked up without any damage to society, then I would not care. Where is he staying now that he's been ruled incompetent?

[AndyTiedye]

5. He Still Needs to be Locked Up

But it will be in a looney bin instead of a prison.

[Warpy]

7. It doesn't matter if he's wearing pink in Arpaio's gulag

or wearing a bathrobe in a locked psych ward. As long as he is kept off the street, justice has been served.

Nothing we can do to this deranged bastard will bring any of the people back. However, we should make sure he never has an opportunity to do it again.

[AlabamaLibrul]

2. He thinks he killed GG therefore, unfit to stand trial until he can figure out otherwise.

This is not the same as saying he's not guilty by reason of insanity.

[elehhhhna]

12. Fine. Try him for murder.

[AlabamaLibrul]

13. That's not how it works, no matter what the Internet Legal Community(tm) thinks of this guy.

[elehhhhna]

15. I was kidding.

I roll with some of the tippy-top attorneys in the USofA. In fact, they call ME for advice.

DU needs a sarcasm font.

[WonderGrunion]

30. There is one. I tlooks like this on the "smilies" page:

:sarcasm:

[elehhhhna]

38. No! I loathe that smilie. I want a sarc font. It's more subtle. Wah! (stamps foot)

[Drale]

3. Without knowing anything about him

I'm going to declare him insane and state that he should be committed to a institution for the criminally insane.

[LisaL]

20. Do we even have those institutions anymore?

[ZombieHorde]

4. Hard to say. nt

[bluestateguy]

6. Swell

So he'll get a few years of therapy and hugs and a bullshit psychobabble analysis, and he'll be on Dr. Phil's show in a few years.

[JonLP24]

10. Not true

If is found "Guilty, but insane"(AZ thing) he'll be committed to a state run mental health facility. If he ever somehow becomes sane, he'll be transfered to prison.

[LisaL]

21. Except they can't even put him on trial.

[JonLP24]

22. He still isn't free

[Ptah]

32. He's being tried in federal court.

[JonLP24]

35. I know

I'm under the assumption he'll also face charges from the state. I'm probably assuming wrong though.

[Merlot]

11. If he never stands trial, he will be held in a mental institution for the rest

of his life - the amount of time he would have gotten if he had been found guilty.

That's how I read it in the LA times this am.

[n2doc]

8. toon

[malaise]

9. Excellent toon

The freaking truth!

[LisaL]

24. Except that there is no cure for paranoid schizophrenia,

assuming that's what he has. I also don't believe he ever tried to seek mental health treatment in a first place.

[Hippo_Tron]

27. There's no cure but treatment for it

[roamer65]

14. The decision should be appealed, if possible.

I really would like to see him get the death penalty.

[JonLP24]

23. This is from

psychologists and psychiatrists who work for the government. Regardless I'm not sure how a DP helps or deters someone who is very mentally ill. Cases like this have me thank the lucky stars I never had anything more than depression and anxiety.

[Bluebear]

31. Barbarian.

[Joe the Revelator]

16. If there ever was a guy crazy enough to be judged incompetent...

It could be this guy.

[LLStarks]

17. Apparently he still believes he killed Giffords. nt

[KurtNYC]

18. Those videos are creepy as hell

some of it seems to be self hypnosis:

All humans are in need of sleep.
Jared Loughner is a human.
Hence, Jared Loughner is in need of sleep.
Sleepwalking
If I define sleepwalking then sleepwalking is the act or state of walking, eating, or performing other motor acts while asleep, of which one is unaware upon awakening.
I define sleepwalking.
Thus, sleepwalking is the act or state of walking, eating or performing other motor acts while asleep, of which one is unaware upon awakening.
I'm a sleepwalker - who turns off the alarm clock.
All conscience dreaming at this moment is asleep.
Jared Loughner is conscience dreaming at this moment.
Thus, Jared Loughner is asleep.

http://www.boingboing.net/2011/01/08/youtube-videos-of-ar.html

where did he learn hypnosis ?

[UTUSN]

19. O.K., fine. Now I think he should DIE. n/t

[MindPilot]

25. I'm familiar with Judge Burns' work.

He's very conservative and not afraid of bringing that into his legal decisions.

[Hippo_Tron]

26. There is a much better article explaining that he could still stand trial

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110525/ap_on_re_us/us_congresswoman_shot_mental_competency

The judge ordered that he spend a few months in a psychiatric hospital so that they could treat him to the point that he is actually competent to stand trial. This isn't not guilty by reason of insanity. There's a good chance this guy will spend the rest of his life in prison, it will just take a bit longer to get him there.

[malaise]

28. That's the good news -thanks n/t

[LisaL]

40. He could still stand trial. Or he couldn't if they don't restore him

to competency. In which case the criminal case against him will be dismissed.

[WonderGrunion]

29. There is no staute of limitations on prosecuting the murder of a

federal judge. I'm fine with him getting help until he is capable of standing trial.

[kentuck]

33. But competent enough to purchase a gun?

Hmmmmm...

[pipoman]

34. But competent enough not to have been previously involuntarily committed?

Hmmmmm.....

[malaise]

37. Amazing isn't it

Thank the NRA and its lobbyists.

[tekisui]

36. This is better than having him stand trial and be found not guilty for reason of insanity.

He will be held in a mental institution until fit for trial. If that doesn't happen he stays locked up in a mental hospital.

I am fine with this. He is clearly a threat to society and should be incapacitated. I am more for protecting society than punishment. Rehabilitation over retribution. If he can't be rehabilitated, he must be incapacitated.

[LisaL]

39. How in the world is it better?

They will have to re-evaluate him in some months. If he still isn't competent, they will have to eventually dismiss the criminal case against him.

[AlabamaLibrul]

41. No statute of limitations on murder of a federal judge, and if he is incompetent

to stand trial forever, he'll stay in a mental health institution forever.

[JonLP24]

42. Nah

He'll just be held indefinitely until someday he'll be competent.