KENTUCKY
WAVE
By Cedra Mayfield
LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) – James Schook did not appear before a judge Wednesday as expected. Instead, an attorney for the former Roman Catholic priest said the stage four skin cancer patient was in his final days of life, and thus incompetent to stand trial.
“If the defendant is physically and mentally incapable of meaningfully participating, I don’t think any of us want to have a trial that is just a mockery,” said David Lambertus, Schook’s defense attorney. “I’m not sure if any memory is there or present ability to converse.”
Schook is set to answer to allegations of sexual abuse dating back more than three decades during a trial set for Monday, June 24. In a pretrial hearing Wednesday, prosecutors contested Schook’s alleged incompetence to stand trial.
“If, in fact, he is so incompetent,” questioned Assistant Commonwealth Attorney John Balliet, “why has there not been a motion filed?”
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