Texas Teen Charged in Mass Shooting to Get Psych Evaluation
A judge has ordered a third psychiatric examination of a teenager charged in a mass shooting at a Texas high school last year to help determine whether the former student is mentally competent to stand trial.
Santa Fe (US), Oct 24 (AP) A judge has ordered a third psychiatric examination of a teenager charged in a mass shooting at a Texas high school last year to help determine whether the former student is mentally competent to stand trial.
Dimitrios Pagourtzis is charged with capital murder in the May 2018 Santa Fe High School attack that left 10 people dead and 13 wounded.
District Court Judge John Ellisor on Tuesday ordered psychiatrist Dr. Victor Scarano to complete an examination of Pagourtzis, The Galveston County Daily News reported. Scarano was hired by the district attorney's office.
Pagourtzis' defence team and a court-ordered independent psychologist, Karen Gollaher, have already finished their evaluations of the teen.
Pagourtzis' attorney Nick Poehl declined to comment, citing a gag order issued Tuesday.
Poehl argued in August that Pagourtzis' mental health had deteriorated since his arrest and that he had no understanding of the legal proceedings.
No competency hearing has been ordered. The next pre-trial conference is scheduled for December.
The trial scheduled for next year has been moved to Fort Bend County, 45 miles (70 kilometers) from Galveston County — where the attack happened — because of intense publicity.
Court records show Pagourtzis also faces federal charges. (AP)
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