The Lauren Burk case came one step closer to resolution Monday, June 16, when Judge Jacob A. Walker III set the date for the next court appearance of Courtney Lockhart.
The court will hear an update on the case and Lockhart, 23, will appear again in court Sept. 3 at 2 p.m.
Lockhart is charged with three different accounts of capital murder.
At approximately 9 p.m. March 4, Burk was found with a fatal gunshot wound on North College Street. Shortly after, Burk’s car was found in flames in the parking lot behind the Hill dorms.
After being arrested Friday, March 7, by the Phenix City Police Department, Lockhart confessed to kidnapping, robbery and attempted rape, Monday, March 10.
Lockhart waived his preliminary hearing, April 23, and his lead attorney Joel Collins, requested a gag order.
According to case file documents, District Court Judge Russell Bush issued a gag order April 24 and, in response to another of Collins’ requests, ordered that Lockhart be given an outpatient evaluation to determine both his competency to stand trial and his mental state at the time of the offense.
The order requires that Lockhart be given a psychological examination on grounds of “his intent to pursue a special plea of mental disease or defect or not guilty and not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.”
Lockhart was indicted by a grand jury, May 14, on three accounts of capital murder, including kidnapping, attempted rape and murder; he was also indicted on a robbery charge.
At his June 4 arraignment, Lockhart pleaded not guilty to the charges of robbery and capital murder.
Walker granted one of Lockhart’s attorneys, Jeremy Armstrong, the right to amend Lockhart’s not guilty pleas after the results of Lockhart’s mental health evaluation are reviewed.
The results of the mental evaluation are not yet known, though they will be sealed by the court.
July 4, 2008 - 10:25am
mental disease, still guilty
I believe that everyone who commits a crime like this would plea not guilty by mental accords. However, I believe they do have mental problems to be able to commit such an act, however they are should still be held responsible for what they did. If he is let off easy because of this reason, he will only be right back in some court room later answering for another crime he has commited. People such as lockhart cannot be helped.July 8, 2008 - 11:46am
test results
i'm anxious to hear the results of the mental evaluation. please keep us posted!