Bank robbery suspect to undergo competency evaluation
The suspect arrested in connection with the robbery of the Commercial Bank branch office in Middleton has been scheduled for a competency evaluation.
Joseph Anis King, 37, of Lansing, was arraigned in Gratiot County District Court earlier this month and charged with the Feb. 19 crime. Deputies and Michigan Department of Corrections officials had arrested King without incident at his Lansing home on March 1.
The MDOC was involved because the suspect was still on parole for previous offenses.
After an initial court hearing on March 16, King was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation at the states’ forensic center, Prosecutor Keith Kushion said.
King’s preliminary examina
tion, which had been set for March 23, was postponed until results of the exam are received, he added.
“That puts everything on hold,” Kushion said.
The results of the competency hearing, now scheduled for 11 a.m. May 19 in Gratiot County District Court, will determine whether or not King has the mental capacity to understand the charges and alleged offense he has committed, and if he’s competent to stand trial.
If he is deemed competent a preliminary hearing will then take place at which time King will have the opportunity to enter a plea to the bank robbery charges.
At this time he remains lodged in the Gratiot County Jail with bond set at $500,000.
According to MDOC records, Since 2003 King has had more than a dozen other prior convictions for various crimes in Missaukee, Wexford, Eaton, Osceola, Mecosta and Muskegon counties.
Among those are attempted larceny, possession of a stolen car, home invasion, multiple counts of retail fraud, possession of cocaine and possession of methamphetamines.