Murder defendant on trial to prove mental competency

Three expert witnesses testified this week during defendant Ioan Laurint’s trial at El Centro Courthouse. It’s a civil case meant to determine Laurint’s ability to participate in his own defense.

Defense Attorney Donald Levine said, “Dr. Francisco Gomez testified, and Dr. Lewis Blumberg partially testified that Mr. Laurint is not competent to stand trial due to his psychiatric problems.”

Assistant District Attorney Deborah Owen said in court Laurint is malingering, or faking his mental condition. He’s accused of killing local attorney Anne Marie Zimmerman last year.

She plans to call on jail inmates and jail employees to testify next week. She said she couldn’t comment on the proceedings of the trial.

During the trial, she questioned the psychologists’ mental evaluation of Laurint. Some of them said they couldn’t remember the questions they asked or the answers given by the defendant on which they based their report. They said they didn’t take notes of everything said or asked.

If Laurintis found mentally incompetent, his criminal case could be dismissed.

Laurint goes back to court on Monday.The trial could end next Thursday.