A Kentucky lawyer hopes to call attention to the plight of his client and others waiting for long-delayed competency exams by living in jail with his client (article available here).
The attorney filed a motion seeking to be housed in the same cell as his client until the Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center determines whether the client is competent for trial. His client has been awaiting the exam for more than a year., which is longer than the maximum sentence that he would have received if he was convicted.
The waiting list for state psychiatric center competency exams has increased to more than 300 defendants, an official with the center testified last year. The center is addressing the backlog by conducting some evaluations by videoconference.