Attorney on a Gurney: That's How Pa. Lawyer Rolled into Court for Hearing on His Competency
UNIONTOWN, Pa. (CBS/AP) "Attorney on a gurney" may sound like the title of a new reality show, but actually, it describes how a Pennsylvania lawyer chose to make his grand entrance at a competency hearing last month - about his own competency, that is.
Attorney Mark Morrison was accused of stealing $99,000 from two elderly couples he represented four years ago. The barrister was scheduled for a hearing to assess his ability to stand trial, and on Thursday he was wheeled into the courtroom of Fayette County Judge Steve Leskinen on the aforementioned gurney - after which the judge rejected Morrison's arguments and set a January trial date for the horizontal lawyer.
At the hearing, a prosecution psychiatrist testified Morrison's answers on some tests had raised "red flags" that he might be faking, such as when he named the months of the year as "A, B, C, X and Q."A psychiatrist who testified on the defense side said he could not rule out simple laziness on the part of the defendant.
Both doctors said Morrison should be watched closely in a care facility to determine whether he is actually ill.
Crimesider will be watching.