Posted: Thursday, January 1, 2009 12:00 am
State hospital pushes mental health bills
CHEYENNE - A draft bill would establish a procedure for judges to follow in ordering mentally ill people accused of serious crimes to take anti-psychotic drugs to make them competent to stand trial.
The Select Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services is sponsoring a bill in the legislative session that starts Jan. 13. The State Hospital in Evanston requested the bill. Officials say the bill would make state law conform with the latest U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the issue.
The bill would require judges to find that the drugs would be likely to make the person competent to stand trial. The drugs must be unlikely to have side effects that would significantly interfere with the person's ability to assist in their defense. The drugs also must be medically appropriate and in the accused person's best medical interests.
Man bound over in Fremont fatal crash
RIVERTON - A 45-year-old Shoshoni man has been bound over to district court on felony charges related to a rollover crash that killed two people in Fremont County.
Prosecutors have charged Richard Allen Tucker with two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide. Prosecutors say Tucker was driving under the influence of alcohol on Dec. 20 when he rolled his 1993 Dodge pickup about four miles west of Shoshoni.
Police say passengers Zate L. Phillips, 28, of Casper, and his mother, Koleen G. Phillips, 51, of Shoshoni, both died when they were ejected from Tucker's truck.
A date for Tucker's arraignment in district court was not immediately set.
Wolves kill 2 sheep near Reed Point
BILLINGS, Mont. - Wolves have killed more livestock north of Reed Point in Montana, despite efforts to remove the animals from the area.
Federal Wildlife Services officials say wolves killed two sheep and badly injured a ewe and a goat on a ranch north of Reed Point that has lost 20 animals to wolves since September. The injured animals were not expected to survive.
The rancher has a state permit to kill one wolf and FWS trappers continue to search for wolves, as well.
Montana wildlife officials believe two wolves were responsible for killing livestock on two ranches in the Reed Point area. Wildlife Services tracked down and killed one of the wolves on Nov. 28.
2 snowmobilers OK after night in forest
HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS, Colo. - Two Minnesota snowmobilers are alive and safe a day after going missing in Grand County.
Forty-nine-year-old John Rocky and his 20-year-old son, Tim, of Cold Spring, Minn., went missing in the Arapahoe National Forest Tuesday.
Searchers spent several hours looking for the pair late Tuesday and again Wednesday morning before family members received a text message.
The message indicated the two were fine but were stuck in deep snow. They said they had built a fire Tuesday night to keep warm.
Rescuers reached the men Wednesday afternoon.