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Accused Planned Parenthood Shooter Found Incompetent

By Jeralyn, Section Colorado News
Posted on Thu Apr 28, 2016 at 02:08:51 PM EST
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A state psychologist has concluded that Robert Lewis Dear Jr., accused in Colorado's Planned Parenthood shootings, is incompetent to stand trial (unable to assist in his own defense and understand the nature of the charges and consequences.)

Dear faces 179 counts — including eight charges of first- degree murder — for the Nov. 27, 2015, attack at the Colorado Springs clinic. The 57-year-old is accused of killing University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Police Officer Garrett Swasey, Ke'Arre Stewart, 29, and Jennifer Markovsky, 35.

If the Judge agrees, Dear, Jr. will be sent to the State Hospital for treatment to restore his competency. At an earlier hearing, Dear, Jr. announced his guilt.

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    Accused Planned Parenthood Shooter Found Incompetent | 10 comments (10 topical)

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    Note to Carly (none / 0) (#1)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Apr 28, 2016 at 03:10:11 PM EST
    when you start spewing stuff don't be surprised if some crazy person thinks you are telling the truth.

    To be fair to the incompetent Ms. Fiorina, ... (none / 0) (#3)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Apr 28, 2016 at 07:29:40 PM EST
    ... Robert Dear was apparently listening to David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt, those two clowns who concocted the Planned Parenthood hoax by producing that doctored video, and were indicted for their trouble. He probably doesn't even know who Carly Fiorina is.

    Parent
    Any fanatic who deliberately courts martyrdom, ... (none / 0) (#2)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Apr 28, 2016 at 07:21:28 PM EST
    ... regardless of the cause, is likely somebody whose ship long ago put to sea without mainsail, rudder and compass. That became readily apparent in Robert Dear's case when he repeatedly disrupted his preliminary proceedings in court, practically begging the judge and prosecutor to declare him him guilty because if they wouldn't, he'd do so himself. By most indications, Dear is paranoid and deranged, and probably unable to grasp the true nature and magnitude of his offense, and the judge did the right thing by refusing his request to act as his own counsel and ordering his psychological evaluation. In my honest opinion, the state psychologist diagnosed the defendant correctly.

    So, how (none / 0) (#4)
    by Mr Natural on Thu Apr 28, 2016 at 07:35:31 PM EST
    can he be charged with 8 counts of murder when only three people died?

    Seems like it's taking overcharging to a whole new level.

    THat may be correct (none / 0) (#5)
    by nyjets on Thu Apr 28, 2016 at 09:24:53 PM EST
    Legal experts be correct me if I am wrong, in some cases it is impossible for him to be convicted off all 8 counts. Each set of charges represent degrees, ex murder 1 murder 2, etc.


    Parent
    Here you go (none / 0) (#7)
    by jbindc on Fri Apr 29, 2016 at 04:19:24 PM EST
    Link

    There are eight first-degree murder charges in all, covering the three shooting deaths. In a news conference, Dan May, the district attorney for Colorado's Fourth Judicial District, explained that the multiple charges stemmed from the fact that there were distinct "theories" undergirding each of those charges.

    For example, three counts were filed related to the death of Jennifer Markovsky, a 35-year-old mother of two children. One of the counts alleges that Mr. Deal acted with "deliberation" when he caused her death. A second count alleges that Mr. Dear caused her death in furtherance of a burglary, for which he was also charged (prosecutors allege that he unlawfully entered the Planned Parenthood building).

    A third murder charge alleges that he evinced an "attitude of universal malice manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life generally."

    Multiple counts were also filed related to the deaths of K'Arre Stewart, 29, an Iraq war veteran, and Garrett Swasey, 44, a police officer at the local campus of the University of Colorado.



    Parent
    That sounds like (none / 0) (#8)
    by Mr Natural on Fri Apr 29, 2016 at 07:40:35 PM EST
    too clever by half prosecutors making an end run around double jeopardy by triply jeopardizing the guy ahead of time.

    Parent
    Wow. That's a new one: (none / 0) (#10)
    by oculus on Fri Apr 29, 2016 at 09:32:22 PM EST
    A third murder charge alleges that he evinced an "attitude of universal malice manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life generally."


    Parent
    silly question time (none / 0) (#11)
    by nyjets on Fri Apr 29, 2016 at 09:38:48 PM EST
    Isn't that phrase basically reckless disregard for human life? Which essentially exists in every murder statue in the country.

    Parent
    Seems like it. (none / 0) (#12)
    by oculus on Fri Apr 29, 2016 at 10:02:19 PM EST


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    Accused Planned Parenthood Shooter Found Incompetent | 10 comments (10 topical)

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