Judge suspends prosecution of Phillip Garrido; sanity at issue
By Sam Stanton, Sacramento Bee
A judge in Placerville suspended the criminal prosecution of accused kidnapper Phillip Garrido after his public defender declared she doubted his mental competency to face trial.
The judge ordered a hearing for Oct. 8 on whether to appoint a mental expert to examine the 59-year-old alleged kidnapper of Jaycee Lee Dugard, who was abducted in 1991 at the age of 11.
Phillip and Nancy Garrido
The judge said he would allow the prosecution of Garrido’s wife, Nancy Garrido to proceed. But he said he had his own doubts about Phillip Garrido’s competency after public defender Susan Gellman said she, too, doubted his competency. The judge suspended the case.
The development could delay the prosecution of Phillip Garrido indefinitely.
His wife still faces a hearing Oct. 1.