A Kent Municipal Court judge will review competency evaluations of the man charged with incidents at Meridian Elementary School.
Judge Michael Frans received the latest of two competency evaluation reports about Noah W. Peterson, 26, of Kent, at a Dec. 22 court hearing. Frans will determine whether Peterson is competent to face charges for the criminal court case to move forward.
City prosecutors charged Peterson for allegedly intimidating a school employee and harassment after a Nov. 14 incident near Meridian Elementary, 25621 140th Ave. SE, on the East Hill, according to court documents. The incident resulted in a school lockdown for one day and closure for four days. Peterson also reportedly pointed a gun at his brother Nov. 14 inside the home he lives in next to school property.
“He (Frans) will review that report, along with a prior report, and then issue written findings at Mr. Peterson’s next court hearing,” said City Attorney Tammy White in a Dec. 23 email.
That hearing is scheduled for noon Friday, Dec. 30 at Kent Municipal Court.
“Mr. Peterson’s bail remains non-bailable and he will be held in custody until at least his next court hearing,” White said.
Peterson is in the city of Kent jail along Central Avenue South. Kent Police arrested Peterson Nov. 16 and booked him into the city jail before he was transported less than 24 hours later to a treatment center for psychiatric care and evaluation.
Prior to the Dec. 8 hearing, Peterson had been in the custody of King County Designated Crisis Responders, held under the Involuntary Treatment Act. King County released Peterson Dec. 7 and he was transported back to Kent’s city jail.
The defense attorney for Peterson requested a second competency evaluation which Frans granted at a Dec. 8 hearing.
At the Dec. 30 hearing, Peterson could be kept in custody for treatment or on the charges, depending on the judge’s ruling. He also could be released.
If a court (judge) believes a mental health issue may prevent a person from aiding in their defense, the court puts the criminal case on hold (per RCW 10.77) while an evaluation is completed to determine that individual’s legal competence to proceed with the criminal court case, according to the state Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) website.
If the individual is found not competent, DSHS is required to provide them with competency restoration services in a timely fashion, after which point the criminal case may proceed, according to DSHS. The majority of competency restoration services are provided in the forensic units of Western State Hospital in Lakewood in Pierce County.
DSHS, however, has approximately 850 mentally ill defendants across the state that are waiting for court-ordered mental health treatment at state psychiatric facilities, according to a Nov. 29 report on king5.com. King County has more than a record-number of 100 mentally ill defendants waiting in the county jail for a bed at Western State Hospital, according to the report.
The criminal case is in Kent Municipal Court because the charges are misdemeanors. King County Superior Court handles felony cases.
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