As anyone who’s read Jared Lee Loughner’s internet rantings (since removed) or gazed at his visage will attest, the Arizona spree killer is as crazy as a loon. And yet Uncle Sam is determined to get the federal court to rule Loughner competent to stand trial. They’ve been pumping JLL with anti-psychotic drugs (against his lawyer’s objections), isolating him from the general prison population and refusing to allow the defense to videotape his interrogations “therapy.” Even now, after all that, despite a shrink’s determination that Loughner’s still batshit crazy, the killer is being railroaded towards a show trial. Aided and abetted by U.S. District Judge Larry Alan Burns. Check this latest ruling . . .
On Monday, January 30, 2012, the Court received a competency report from Dr. Christina Pietz, the defendant’s chief psychologist. In Dr. Pietz’s opinion, the defendant remains incompetent to stand trial, in particular because he lacks an adequate understanding of the nature and consequences of the charges against him. Dr. Pietz does, however, believe that the defendant has made measurable progress toward competency, and that his mental state will continue to improve.
I’d sure like to see the original psychiatrist’s report. The Judge’s carefully couched wording—Loughner “continue(s) to improve”—says nothing about Loughner’s ultimate ability to attain mental competency. Which would never happen without his mandatory drug regimen and “therapy” sessions with the prison doc.
The feds have had four months to de-crazy-i-fy Loughner. The judge has just given them another four. It’s been over a year since the shooting.
This is nuts. Loughner is nuts. Let him plead out, lock him up, throw away the key and be done with it. The Powers That Be should focus their attention on the failure of his parents, his friends, his school, the ATF and the sheriff’s department to intervene before Loughner went postal. Period.