White House Intruder’s Bid for Release Fails
WASHINGTON — A federal magistrate, declaring that accused White House intruder Leland William Modjeski is “in dire need of medical treatment,†ordered the mentally troubled Virginia man held in federal custody Thursday pending his trial on charges of assault and weapons violations.
U.S. Magistrate Patrick J. Attridge rejected entreaties by public defender Rita Pendry to release Modjeski to a private mental treatment center until his trial.
He ordered that Modjeski remain at the District of Columbia-operated St. Elizabeths mental hospital “until the first available federal medical center can take him,†a process that Pendry said could take weeks. Once he is transferred, Modjeski will be given a mental evaluation to determine if he understands the charges against him. If not, he probably would be committed to a mental institution for an indefinite period, or until such time as he does understand the charges and the case can proceed.
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