Loughner to be forcibly drugged, lawyers say

Defendant Jared Loughner sits with his head in his hands during a competency hearing in federal court, May 25, 2011, in Tucson, Ariz. / AP

PHOENIX - Lawyers for the Tucson shooting rampage suspect say federal prison officials have decided to forcibly give him anti-psychotic drugs.

Attorneys for Jared Loughner filed an emergency motion on Friday asking U.S. District Judge Larry Burns to stop them from doing so.

Burns has twice denied their requests to be given notice before their client is drugged.

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Defense attorney Judy Clarke wrote that a prison administrative hearing on June 14 found Loughner was a danger to himself. She doesn't know if they have started giving him drugs.

Loughner has pleaded not guilty to 49 charges stemming from the Jan. 8 shooting that killed six and injured 13, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

Mental health experts who examined Loughner concluded he suffers from schizophrenia; he has been at a federal prison facility in Springfield, Mo., since May 28, where experts will try to make him psychologically fit to stand trial. He will spend up to four months there.

If Loughner is later determined to be competent enough to understand the case against him and assist his lawyers, the court proceedings will resume. His stay at the facility could also be extended.

USA Today reported earlier this month that it's likely Loughner will eventually be cleared to stand trial. "It's a fairly routine part of criminal justice," Richard Bonnie, director of the Institute of Law, Psychiatry and Public Policy at the University of Virginia, told the newspaper.

Bonnie said about 85 percent of patients initially ruled mentally unfit are eventually cleared to stand trial or otherwise face charges against them.

[gouldbj]

Just shoot him in the head. Repeatedly.

[peace6348]

Question: Is forcing someone to take anti-psychotic drugs, the same as forcing them to testify against themselves?

[incog-nito]

Forcing someone to take drugs to make them "competent" for trial, isn't that just an admission that they were "incompetent" when they committed the crime?

[documemts]

Reminds me of "1984". 'We' will medicate you into compliance. After you are unable to think for yourself then you will be ready to submit to the state plans for you.

[jt92202]

We need to let the courts and doctors do their job so this man can be tried for the shooting and deaths or put into a hospital until he's stable enough to stand trial. If he never becomes stable then the doctors and hospital will care for him long term!! Lets not forget what country we are, we do not treat our criminals as they do in other countries! We have laws and courts to deal with the unlawful, let them do their job! Thank you ge556

[incog-nito]

Yeah right. Forcing someone to take drugs to make them "competent" for trial, is an implicit admission that they might have been "incompetent" when they committed the crime. The system is messed up.

[samXXkiley]

coucou,
s'ils s'av?rent n?c?ssaires, les psychotiques doivent ?tre administr?s sous surveillance m?dicale,

..............
if they are needed, psychotics should be administered under medical supervision
"au revoir"

[PapaGracio]

Why doesnt someone treat him with a dose of lead?

[dnamj]

So sad that this guy gets a clinical diagnosis of Schizophrenia, only AFTER he's in prison and has shot and killed people. Just another argument why readily available health care (including mental health) should be a priority.

[tmn]

This dude seriously needs drugs - the more, the better.

[ge556]

It's amazing how many people have no respect for the rule of law, and want to punish someone who has not been convicted of a crime, because "we all know he's guilty". Our judicial system is a very, very, very, important part of what makes America great. Please don't undermine it.

[wlhoppers]

How much more proof do you need? And have you looked at our judicial system lately? Not much to be proud of...

[_Liann_]

UH, he was eyewitnessed by dozens and dozens of people. He killed six including a little girls, so no possible "justifiable" defense is even possible. It's not like he did it in the dark with nobody around, destroyed all the evidence and fled clean away. The guy did it -- accept reality, or take your own medications for psychosis.