A Marin County choose accurately determined that a man who allegedly stalked Gavin Newsom and his household is mentally incompetent to face trial, a state appeals court docket dominated.
Ralph Manning Scott, 68, was charged after an incident in 2018, when Newsom was lieutenant governor and had a house in Kentfield. Scott ordered a taxi and introduced flowers to Newsom’s residence on his birthday, in accordance with the appellate ruling.
Scott bought inside the house by telling one in all Newsom’s kids he's a pal of the household and a son of President John Kennedy.
“At defendant’s request, the kid led him into the house in order that he may discover a photograph of JFK on the household’s laptop,” the ruling mentioned. “About 10 or quarter-hour after his arrival and earlier than leaving, defendant signed and wrote his telephone quantity on a birthday card for Lieutenant Governor Newsom.”
The household obtained a restraining order, and the Marin County District Lawyer’s Workplace filed stalking expenses. Scott pleaded not responsible.
A choose suspended the legal proceedings for an analysis of whether or not Scott was mentally competent to help in his protection. Three court-appointed psychological well being specialists rendered opinions throughout the ensuing litigation, which was extended due to the pandemic.
All three decided that Scott was delusional and mentally incompetent, though one psychiatrist, in a second report, modified his thoughts on the competency query.
Scott “operates underneath a grandiose delusional perception system involving his perception that he's [JFK’s] illegitimate son, that Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio raised him, and that he knew Gavin Newsom’s father amongst different outstanding figures,” the psychiatrist, Dr. Zachary Torry, wrote. “Nevertheless, the affect from his delusions doesn't intrude together with his means to grasp the character of the legal proceedings or to rationally help counsel within the conduct of a protection.”
Decide Beth Jordan heard proof on the competency query in 2020 and dominated that Scott was mentally incompetent to face trial. She dedicated him to a state psychological hospital, suspending the legal prosecution till competency is established.
A lawyer appointed to symbolize Scott filed an enchantment with the first District Courtroom of Enchantment in San Francisco. In a unanimous choice issued on March 16, a three-judge appeals panel affirmed Jordan’s ruling in Marin.
“The trial court docket appropriately weighed the opinions of all the psychological well being specialists,” Justice Teri Jackson wrote. “There is no such thing as a foundation on this document to second-guess the court docket’s judgment. Certainly, it's effectively established that credible testimony from a single skilled constitutes substantial proof.”
The ruling famous that Scott’s document since 1976 contains “a minimum of 52 arrests, 23 convictions (seven of which have been felonies), and quite a few parole violations.” It additionally mentioned Scott has twice been discovered mentally incompetent to face trial.
Scott’s lawyer, Gerald Miller of the First District Appellate Venture, declined to touch upon the ruling.