Competency evaluation ordered for Tucson ‘cult’ pastor
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ATucson pastor accused of failing to report alleged child sex crimes must be evaluated for competency before he stands trial, a Pima County judge ordered Monday.
Superior Court Judge Mark Hotchkiss agreed with a request by Pastor Isaac Noriega’s attorney that his client should be medically evaluated.
In a Nov. 12 court filing, attorney Douglas W. Taylor argued that Noriega, 83, is incompetent to stand trial due to dementia. He cited a doctor’s report saying Noriega has “late phase mild stage dementia, currently progressing into moderate stage dementia.”
Two doctors, one chosen by the defense and another by the court, will evaluate Noriega before a Jan. 26 competency hearing.
Noriega, longtime pastor of Golden Dawn Tabernacle on Tucson’s south side, was arrested in June and charged with two counts of failure to report child abuse or neglect of a minor, one felony count and one misdemeanor. He faces up to two-and-a-half years in prison.
Read more https://tucson.com/news/local/crime-courts/article_17a388e0-4b62-4147-9928-249f35bb7061.html
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