BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - A Vermont judge has determined the man accused in the 2010 slaying of a social worker is still mentally unfit to stand trial.
The Burlington Free Press reports (https://bfpne.ws/2xwGGAo ) Judge James Crucitti ruled 51-year-old Jose Pazos unfit to stand trial following a hearing last week. Pazos will continue to receive treatment at the Vermont Psychiatric Care Hospital until he is found competent to stand trial.
Crucitti referenced opinions from two psychiatrists who testified during hearings earlier this year. The judge wrote that he isn’t certain Pazos has “a present ability to consult with his lawyer with a reasonable degree of rational understanding.”
Pazos was first found incompetent to stand trial in 2014.
Pazos has pleaded not guilty to premediated murder in the stabbing death of 50-year-old Kathleen Smith.
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Information from: The Burlington Free Press, https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com
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