Judge Orders Stipe To Be Sent To Hospital

MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) -- A judge on Monday ordered former state Senator Gene Stipe to a federal hospital to undergo further evaluation of his mental condition. Stipe is to be sent to a hospital for four

Monday, November 5th 2007, 10:25 am

By: News On 6


MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) -- A judge on Monday ordered former state Senator Gene Stipe to a federal hospital to undergo further evaluation of his mental condition. Stipe is to be sent to a hospital for four months of evaluation. U.S. District Judge Ronald White said he would recommend that Stipe be sent to the prison hospital in Springfield, Missouri.

Stipe must surrender to federal authorities by noon on November 16 and be under house arrest until that time.

White said the evidence is overwhelming that Stipe is not mentally competent to participate in a parole revocation hearing that could determine whether he is sent to prison.

The judge's decision came after a psychologist testified that Stipe cannot recite the alphabet and has delusions that his home has been invaded.

Robert Denny, a neuropsychologist at the prison hospital in Missouri, where Stipe was sent previously, said a battery of tests showed the 81-year-old Stipe suffers from severe dementia and is mentally incompetent to sit through a lengthy court proceeding "and understand what is going on around him."

Stipe's competency must be determined in order for federal prosecutors to move forward with their attempt to revoke Stipe's probation.

Prosecutors assert Stipe violated his probation by allegedly participating in another election law violation and by associating with another convicted felon, Steve Covington - as recently as last week -- after both men were ordered not to associate with each other.

Denny said that at times Stipe is "very lucid" when talking about the law or about past events. But he said the former senator has frequent short-term memory lapses and has impaired cognitive functioning. He said Stipe had trouble with simple math, could not accurately recite the alphabet and believed his home had been invaded by storm troopers who had turned it into a prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gay Guthrie asked Denny if Stipe's mental capacity could be improved if he was returned to the prison hospital for treatment. The psychologist said that there is some chance that treatment for a thyroid disorder and eliminating some of the medicine Stipe is on could cause improvements that would allow Stipe to become competent.

"I'm not overly hopeful, but it's possible," Denny said.

Stipe served 53 years in the Legislature from McAlester before resigning and pleading guilty to breaking campaign laws by pumping $245,000 into the failed 1998 congressional campaign of former state Representative Walt Roberts.

Stipe and his brother, Francis, also have been indicted on federal conspiracy, witness tampering, money laundering and mail fraud charges.

Watch the video: Psychologist Says Stipe Has Severe Dementia And Is Mentally Incompetent

Related Stories:

3/7/2007 FBI Searches Offices Of Gene Stipe

3/9/2007 Stipe Investigated In Alleged 'Straw Donor' Scheme

3/14/2007 Grand Jury Looking Into Gene Stipe's Finances

3/21/2007 Stipe Business Will Be Run By A Neutral Party

4/1/2003 Former State Senator Gene Stipe Pleads 'Guilty' In Federal Court

4/8/2007 State Charges Possible In Alleged Campaign Scheme

4/18/2007 Jurisdiction Of Stipe Case Transferred To Muskogee

4/23/2007 Newspaper Says Gene Stipe Benefits From Train Sale To State

6/7/2007 Government Seeks Probation Revocation For Stipe

6/13/2007 Former City Manager Expected Before Stipe Grand Jury

6/23/2007 Attorney: Stipe's Business Partner To Plead Guilty To Conspiracy

6/27/2007 Ex-Stipe Business Partner Pleads Guilty

6/28/2007 Gene Stipe Stays Out Of Prison For Now

8/27/2007 Gene Stipe Due In Court Tuesday

8/28/2007 Mental Health Test Ordered For Gene Stipe

9/4/2007 Attorneys Seek To Divert Stipe From Springfield

9/6/2007 Stipe Won't Have To Go Immediately To Federal Medical Unit

9/7/2007 Stipe Heading To Missouri Prison Hospital

9/9/2007 Stipe Says He Is Competent On Eve Of Prison Examination

9/24/2007 Gene Stipe To Be Released From Prison Hospital

9/24/2007 Judge Awaits Report To Decide Next Move In Gene Stipe Case

9/27/2007 Mental Competency Hearing For Gene Stipe Set

10/5/2007 Former State Senator Indicted

10/5/2007 More Legal Trouble For A Former Senator

10/12/2007 Judge Postpones Revocation Hearing For Stipe

10/15/2007 Neural Psychologist Finds Stipe Mentally Incompetent

10/20/2007 Stipe Mental Health Issue Raises Question

11/4/2007 Competency Hearing For Gene Stipe
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