Courtroom arguments began April 8 in the third hearing to determine whether Lee Leed–the man who in 2008 allegedly shot and killed four people at a salvage yard in Santa Maria–is competent enough to stand trial.
Leeds, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, has spent the last few years in custody, shuffling back and forth between Santa Barbara County Jail and Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino.
The trial started with some heated bickering among the defense and prosecuting attorneys. Senior Deputy District Attorney Kevin Duffy argued the defense failed to share key findings with the prosecution in a timely manner. Senior Deputy Public Defender Robert Ikola said his actions were well within civil discovery proceedings.
Ultimately, Superior Court Judge Edward Bullard ordered that the court move forward with the hearing and permitted the defense to call its first witness.
Dr. Elsie Cheng, a Patton psychologist who worked closely with Leeds during his time in custody, testified that she and the rest of hospital’s Wellness and Recovery Treatment team believe Leeds is competent to stand trial.
“He’s better than he’s ever been, and he should basically be returned to the court,” Cheng said.
She explained that the team has been conservative in its assessment of Leeds, considering he was deemed incompetent during a similar hearing in June.
While on the stand, Cheng expressed full confidence in Leeds’ ability to adequately assist his attorneys during trial. She said he actively sought input from staff members regarding his case. He also participated frequently in mock trials and group sessions while at Patton, proving he has a clear understanding of court processes.
Cheng said Leeds does have a slower mental processing time because of his condition, but she didn’t believe it would prevent him from going to trial.
“He was able to demonstrate an understanding of the roles of the players in court, the pleas involved,” Cheng said. “And it was clear that he was not just regurgitating the information [staff members gave him]. He was able to expand and elaborate on it.”
She also testified she hadn’t witnessed Leeds expressing any symptoms of delusions in at least a year. But she did say he seemed to be less motivated the last time he was sent to Patton, and had once told her he wanted to stay at the hospital instead of returning to jail.
Leeds faces murder charges for the slaying of four men, including his father, Robert Leeds.
The defense is arguing that Leeds still suffers from acute symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia, as detailed in a 95-page report from its own mental health specialist.
As of press time, Judge Bullard had yet to make a decision regarding Leeds’ competency level.
This article appears in Apr 14-21, 2011.