Judges seek info on mental health of Naha rape suspect

[unhappycamper]

Judges seek info on mental health of Naha rape suspect
By David Allen, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Wednesday, February 7, 2008

NAHA, Okinawa — Judges in Naha District Court said Tuesday they need more information to consider the mental competency of Kevin Parks, who is charged with beating and raping a sex shop worker Oct. 1.

The three-judge panel will meet with defense lawyers and prosecutors to discuss the matter before the next hearing, set for Feb. 26.

The defense is trying to show Parks, the son of an Air Force captain, should be given a light sentence because of his poor mental state. The crime carries a sentence of five years to life at hard labor in a Japanese prison.

The defense team previously submitted documents, including a report from Parks’ four-day stay at the mental health ward of the U.S. Naval Hospital at Camp Lester, to show Parks had a “reduced mental state” at the time of the incident.

Parks’ behavior is deteriorating, said Satoshi Kawamitsu, one of his defense attorneys.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=52252



uhc comment: Previous threads on Parks -->

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=259&topic_id=9901
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=259&topic_id=10015