BURLINGTON, VT – A judge on Thursday scheduled a hospitalization hearing for a man currently being held in detention without access to treatment, following concerns from the defense that the accused may be psychotic and unable to understand the nature of the charges against him.
During a status conference for the man, who is facing stalking charges, privately-appointed Defense Attorney Andrew R. Schmidt told the court that his client “appeared to be psychotic” during their most recent meeting.
According to Schmidt, the accused was unable to communicate or comprehend the legal proceedings. Deputy State’s Attorney Kristin Hartley agreed with the defense’s assessment.
Despite ongoing mental health issues, Schmidt said the man has received no medication since being jailed.
Judge John Pacht acknowledged the urgent need for a hospitalization hearing and emphasized that the accused should be taken to a hospital and stabilized.
“We are currently using the facility as the hospital without medication,” Judge Pacht said, noting that while medication had been administered in similar cases while in custody, that approach was not effective in this instance. He stressed that further intervention was necessary.
Given the accused’s mental health struggles and homelessness, Judge Pacht expressed concern that releasing him would likely lead to further legal troubles. He recommended that mental health service providers such as the Howard Center and Pathways Vermont become involved in the case.
Judge Pacht also observed that the stalking charges may have stemmed directly from the accused’s untreated mental illness. He admitted uncertainty about the best course of action but suggested that a competency hearing would be an important first step.
The court scheduled the hearing for June 27. Schmidt noted that his client would remain in custody without treatment until then, as he is unable to post bail.
