Laurint found competent to stand trial
EL CENTRO — A jury on Thursday found defendant Ioan Laurint mentally competent to stand trial for murder, paving the way for his criminal trial to proceed next month.
The jury in the civil competency case had deliberated for about three hours over the course of two days before reaching its verdict Thursday morning.
Defense attorney Donald Levine had indicated in court that he is considering filing a motion that seeks the court’s reversal of the verdict and a finding of incompetence. “(The motion) would be to ask the court to set aside the verdict of the jury on the grounds that the evidence supports an opposite result,” Levine said following Thursday’s hearing.
A hearing on such a potential motion would be heard by county Superior Court Judge L. Brooks Anderholt, who presided over Laurint’s civil competency case.
Barring any potential defense motion in the concluded civil case, Laurint’s criminal case is scheduled to resume on Oct. 18 with a pre-trial hearing in front of county Judge Christopher Plourd. The criminal trial itself is tentatively scheduled to resume Nov. 27.
The prospect of returning to criminal court remains a concern for Levine, who said he has found it extremely challenging to represent a defendant who “mumbles incoherently all the time.”
“That puts me in a very awkward and difficult position,” Levine said.
Frequently throughout his civil competency case, Laurint could be observed mumbling apparently to himself. Thursday’s verdict did not appear to prompt any visible reaction from the 50-year-old Imperial resident other than continued mumbling.
County Assistant District Attorney Deborah Owen said she was pleased with Thursday’s verdict and the jury’s careful consideration of the available testimony and evidence.
“A comprehensive test by Dr. Brodie along with the other evidence I think was compelling to the jury that (Laurint) was in fact faking his symptoms,” Owen said.
In order for a defendant to be found competent to stand trial, they must be able to assist in their defense in court, understand the nature of the court proceedings and understand their status and condition in the court proceedings.
Laurint’s criminal case was postponed in June after counsel had asked Plourd for a civil jury trial to determine the defendant’s competency.
Prior to that request by counsel, Laurint had undergone three mental health evaluations that determined he was not competent to stand trial and lastly a fourth that determined he was competent.
The mental competency case included more than five days of testimony from nearly 20 individuals, including the four mental health experts who had interviewed Laurint between October 2017 and June.
Court testimony revealed that forensic psychologist Robert Brodie was the only mental health professional to have subjected Laurint to extensive testing to determine whether the defendant was faking his symptoms of cognitive and psychological impairment.
Laurint stands accused of the Feb. 17, 2017, fatal stabbing of El Centro attorney Anne Marie Zimmermann at a motel on Adams Avenue in El Centro. He remains in custody and has bail set at $1 million.