Arkansas Blog: Pressly suspect fit for trial

Judge Chris Piazza ruled today that Curtis Lavelle Vance is competent to stand trial for the murder of KATV's Anne Pressly. He first heard testimony from forensic psychiatrist Dr. Shawn Agharkar, who said that his conversation with Vance found him to be prone to paranoid delusions and the belief that others -- including police and his own defense team -- were conspiring against him. A simple cognitve screening administered by Agharkar on March 27 found Vance to be operating far below the normal mental capacity expected of a 28 year old. "They indicate that there is either brain damage or brain impairment," the psychiatrist said. "A man his age shouldn't have these problems." Agharkar said that he believed the impairment might stem from an incident related by Vance's mother, who said that when Vance was five years old, she slammed his head repeatedly against a brick wall until he passed out. Since then, Agharkar reported Vance's mother as saying, Curtis had been "slow."

(Vance's mother was asked about testimony by reporters. Our clip indicates she made a comment about being a recoverng addict.)

But highlights today included the judge's reaming of Fox 16 for having a microphone on during the last hearing, which provided sound for video shot through the glass window of the courtroom door. He said he'll be moving future hearings in the Vance case to a courtroom without a clear glass door. Piazza said he would "chalk this one up to arrogance or ignorance," but should such happen again Piazza warned, "whoever does it will need to get themselves a really good First Amendment lawyer, because they will be in custody."

Comments

Hey 70%er.

Get ready for your name to apply to Obama as well.

Have you seen the latest and greatest Rasmussen Numbers?

Dear Leader is running -8%

Posted by: blackberry | July 9, 2009 12:05 PM

Bberry, I'm glad I never left port on that ship either. I think a lot of the KoolAid KewlKids are like the drunk who wakes up in bed and finds his pants laying in the street - going wha????

Posted by: 70%er | July 9, 2009 12:45 PM

Depending on the poll you choose, blackberry, Obama's approvals are lower than that.

And no wonder. (FULL DISCLOSURE: I supported and voted for him.)

There is CANDIDATE Obama. Then -- turns out -- there's PRESIDENT Obama.

There's Dr. Jekyll. There's Mr. Hyde.

Pick a pre-election Obama promise. Health care? The War(s)? LGBT equality? The banks and economy?

A virtual Daily Disappointment as Obama does a 180 on everything. It's become increasingly clear he's already bought and paid for. Obama's just figurehead token management: he's really an employee.

TODAY'S disappointment? CANDIDATE Obama promised to lift Bush's ban on federal funding for needle-exchange programs that save lives by reducing HIV infections and mortality and offer gateways to treatment.

PRESIDENT Obama, turns out, now refuses to lift the ban. American drug addicts who share needles should be denied needle-exchange programs as a first step toward remaining alive and receiving treatment that can restore their health and productivity. They should just go on and get infected and die and cost our health-care system and taxpayers as much as they can as we "care" for them through their disease.

Instead of funding far less-burdensome programs, like needle-exchanges, that prevent the disease in the first place.

That would be scientific. Rational. Positive. Constructive. Money-saving. Community-building. Nation-building.

The LAST things Obama's (and America's) "Owners" have in mind.

Posted by: NormaBates | July 9, 2009 01:08 PM

Even I wouldn't inject off topic Obama info into this thread, blackberry. The only connection I can see is that both Vance and Bush are mentally retarded.

My first feelings are that they should skin Vance alive before they crush his head with a sledgehammer. But there is no mystery involved with why Vance turned out to be a less than perfect human. What can we expect from a child whose own mother would slam his head against a brick wall until he passes out? For a kid in that situation....the Brummett arrows never point up.

We have rotten people in the world because they had rotten parents. If you want to FK up the world 30 years from now, just get up from the computer and go do something horrible to your child. Vance's mother should get the first lethal injection. She killed Ms Pressly many years ago, Vance just came along later to put on the finishing touches.

Posted by: Deathbyinches | July 9, 2009 01:09 PM

"banged his head repeatedly against a brick wall till he passed out - now he is slow"!

That would surely have slowed me down.

Posted by: Citizen1 | July 9, 2009 01:13 PM

Can we put mama on trial too, as an accomplice!?

Posted by: Janus | July 9, 2009 01:33 PM

If courts allow reporters into a judicial proceeding I fail to understand why the prohibition on recording devices?

Posted by: eLwood | July 9, 2009 02:18 PM

On another note - Sounds like her mother should have finished the job she started 23 years ago.

Posted by: blackberry | July 9, 2009 05:18 PM

". . . her mother . . ."??? Is Curtis LaVelle a new feminine Christian name I'm not aware of?

Posted by: dottholliday | July 9, 2009 07:20 PM

Arkansas Blog

Pressly suspect fit for trial

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