Kentucky public defenders say defendants wait up to 18 months for state competency evaluations, often longer than any likely sentence
Public defenders told WKYT that defendants who need a competency evaluation before their cases can move forward are waiting more than a year in some Kentucky jails. A directing attorney in the Department of Public Advocacy's northern trial office said 10 to 15 of her clients facing felony charges were awaiting evaluations, and that people charged with nonviolent Class D felonies and with murder wait on the same list.
The Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center in La Grange is the only state-run facility that conducts these evaluations. A Public Advocacy regional manager said the wait for an inpatient evaluation is now about a year, with clients waiting from 10 to as many as 18 months, and that by the time a client returns the case may be nearly moot because prosecutors offer credit for time served.
He attributed the holdup to staffing, increased demand and limited resources, and said he worries about both people with mental illness and victims' families who do not understand the delay.
Source: Some in Ky. jails waiting for cases to move forward longer than actual sentences would be — WKYT, by Kelsey Souto
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