Ross' Attorney To Seek Competency Hearing

Confessed serial killer Michael Ross has changed his mind about being executed today and has authorized his attorney to seek a delay and a complete assessment of his mental competence. According to court observers, the delay is expected to be granted, since Ross had previously dropped all of his appeals of his death sentence.

Defense attorney T.R. Paulding told reporters that Michael Ross has authorized him to file court papers today to request the competence hearing and block his execution which had been scheduled for 9 p.m.

"We will seek a full, fair and complete assessment of all the evidence relative to his competence," Paulding told The Hartford Courant. "Mr. Ross has authorized me to take the steps that make that happen."

Ross hired Paulding to help him fight for his execution after he fired his public defenders last year. Until this weekend, Paulding had pursued that goal, but talked with Ross on the telephone over the weekend and he changed his mind.

"We have received no formal notification, but there are reports that Michael Ross will request some proceeding and the law clearly and absolutely requires that such a request be met," Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said Monday.

UPDATE: T.R. Paulding filed a motion in federal court to temporarily stay the execution of Michael Ross and will file a similar request in state Supreme Court. "On Friday, new information was revealed to me that made me question Mr. Ross' competency," Paulding said. "The last 48 hours have reinforced my belief that the execution of Michael Ross should be delayed to determine whether he is competent. New and significant evidence has come to light that I simply cannot ignore."

See Also:
Ross' Attorney Files Motion to Delay Connecticut Execution
Ross' Attorney To Seek Competency Hearing
Serial Killer Seeks Examination Instead of Execution Today

Background:
Serial Killer Michael Ross