Phillip Garrido ruled competent to stand trial in Jaycee Lee Dugard kidnapping

Phillip Garrido ruled competent to stand trial in Jaycee Lee Dugard kidnapping | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times

The judge in the Jaycee Lee Dugard kidnapping case ruled Thursday that defendant Phillip Garrido is mentally competent to stand trial for her 1991 abduction.

El Dorado County Superior Court Judge Douglas Phimister reviewed reports from psychiatrists and handed down the ruling Thursday shortly after 1 p.m.

Garrido and his wife, Nancy, are accused of kidnapping Dugard when she was 11-years-old and holding her captive for 18 years.

The case was on hold until Thursday because of questions about Garrido’s mental competence. Lawyers for the prosecution and defense both agreed to allow the judge to decide on the issue.

Among the reports Phimister reviewed was an account from a court-appointed psychiatrist who met with Garrido to determine his mental state, said Jackie Davenport, El Dorado’s assistant court executive officer.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled Feb. 28 to decide if state prosecutors and Garrido’s defense are prepared to move forward with the case, Davenport said.
An arraignment on Garrido’s grand jury indictment is scheduled for the same day, officials said.

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-- Nate Jackson