New competency hearing set for Planned Parenthood shooter

Admitted Planned Parenthood shooter Robert Dear will have to wait to hear whether he will stand trial or be sent to Pueblo’s mental hospital.

Judge Gilbert Martinez did not rule on Dear’s competency report Thursday morning.

While it has been released to the prosecutors and the defense, its contents have not been made public.

“The document given to us was given under seal, so I can’t comment on it,” said District Attorney, Dan May.

Either side is able to request a competency hearing, and the prosecution did. May said he asked for the hearing because he wants to contest the report’s findings.

“We now get discovery, what mental health records might be at the jail, what mental records the defense may have,” said May.

Dear’s attorney, Dan King, did not ask for another hearing or exam, and recommended his client be sent to the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo.

May wouldn’t confirm if that means Dear is incompetent.

“Ask Mr. King what he meant by that,” said May.

Martinez said in court he will issue an order to release redacted copies of affidavits and search warrants.

“We did ask for specific names of people to be redacted off. Two names and victims, so that those victims would not be harassed or threatened or publicly embarrassed,” said May.

If Dear is found incompetent he will be sent to the state hospital and reviewed every 90 days. If he’s found competent, he will stand trial, although he’s mentioned in the past he refuses to do so.

A new competency hearing is set for Thursday, April 28 at 9:00 a.m.