PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — WPTV has been following the case of a Baker Act patient accused of brutally attacking a nurse at HCA Florida Palms West Hospital last week.
Stephen Scantlebury faces a charge of attempted second-degree murder with a hate crime enhancement.
We told you last week that Scantlebury’s defense team has requested a mental health evaluation. The outcomes of the evaluation conducted by a forensic psychologist could play a massive role going forward in this case.
“We’re in the process of having him evaluated by multiple different treatment facilities to get approved to go to one and have a custody to custody transfer, where he will remain there and get treatment while the case is pending,” said one of Scantlebury’s attorneys.
Brian Pakett is a local criminal defense attorney who is not involved with this case. He says two important possibilities could come out the evaluation.
WATCH: Could a judge grant Stephen Scantlebury an insanity defense?
“The first is whether or not the defendant, the client, is competent to proceed,” said Pakett. “Competence to proceed, in layman's terms, means, essentially, does the defendant understand the legal process?"
Then, Pakett says the defendant's attorneys may file a 'Notice of Intent' to rely on the insanity defense.
"It's a defense to basically say, 'Okay, I'm competent to proceed. But mentally, I was not all there. I did not understand what was going on. I could not control my actions. I could not appreciate what I was doing was wrong', something along those lines," Pakett said.
Former Palm Beach State Attorney Dave Aronberg says, in Florida, an insanity defense is a hard sell, mainly because it requires getting in the mind of the suspect at the time of the crime.
Scantlebury running out of the hospital after the crime was committed could be a crucial detail in the evaluation.
“Those are tough to work,” Aronberg said. “You can claim it, but you have to have an established medical condition, which makes you not know the difference between right and wrong, and when you take off and try to evade police, that shows you knew the difference between right and wrong.”
Pakett, however, thinks that Scantlebury fleeing the scene won't ruin his chances of being granted the insanity defense.
"My opinion is, is that running away after an incident does not negate necessarily, that this person could not appreciate what they were doing was wrong," Pakett said.
Scantlebury is set for a pre-trial detention hearing at 1:30 p.m. Thursday for a judge to consider if he will remain in custody in the jail or if he will be moved elsewhere to receive mental health support as he awaits trial.
