Accused Santa Fe shooter declared incompetent to stand trial

[Elderberry]

Houston Chronicle by  Nick Powell Nov. 4, 2019

Attorney: Accused Santa Fe shooter declared incompetent to stand trial

The teenager charged with capital murder in the Santa Fe High School shooting has been declared incomptent to stand trial by three separate psychiatric experts, his attorney said Monday.

Nick Poehl, one of the defense attorneys representing the accused shooter, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, said his client was evaluated by three experts, one hired by the defense, one neutral expert appointed by state District Judge John Ellisor, and one appointed by the Galveston County district attorney.

These evaluations, which occurred in the last several weeks, came after Poehl filed a motion in August requesting an independent psychiatrist evaluate Pagourtzis to determine whether he is competent to stand trial. Poehl cited “recent observations” and conversations with Pagourtzis, as well as ongoing evaluations by mental health professionals.

More: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Attorney-Accused-Santa-Fe-shooter-declared-14807798.php

[IsailedawayfromFR]

These evaluations, which occurred in the last several weeks, came after Poehl filed a motion in August requesting an independent psychiatrist evaluate Pagourtzis to determine whether he is competent to stand trial. Poehl cited “recent observations” and conversations with Pagourtzis, as well as ongoing evaluations by mental health professionals.

This is a travesty.

To say he now is incompetent still means he may have been competent when he savagely murdered people.  So he needs to pay for his crimes, regardless of whether he now is incompetent.