Gentry found competent to stand trial

A Tulsa man accused of leading a sex-cult was in court Wednesday. A judge had to decide whether 24-year-old Jermol Gentry was mentally competent to stand trial.<br> <br>You only have to talk to

Thursday, January 11th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

A Tulsa man accused of leading a sex-cult was in court Wednesday. A judge had to decide whether 24-year-old Jermol Gentry was mentally competent to stand trial.

You only have to talk to Jermol Gentry for a few minutes to know he is an intelligent man. However, he's also been in and out of mental institutions. Five years ago, he was a patient at Eastern State Hospital. His lawyer wanted to make sure he could understand the molestation and sodomy charges against him, and help with his defense at the trial.
"He has a history of mental illness, and I wanted to make sure he was competent to withstand the pressures of a jury trial," said Peter Astor, public defender.

Gentry says he's been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and multiple personality disorder. He says he's tried to commit suicide several times, even twice in the past three months while he's been in jail.
Despite all that, the courtâ€™s psychologist said Gentry was alert, focused and answered questions easily with no signs of delusional thinking. He concluded Gentry was competent to stand trial and the judge agreed. "I think for this charge, here after the preliminary hearing, you'll find the case is not as it was portrayed,â€ Astor said. â€œHe's not the cult leader he's been portrayed to be."

Sex crimes detectives say Gentry did lead a cult, and forced members to participate in sexual acts in order to test their loyalty. Prosecutors say plan to add more charges based on additional victims before the next court hearing on February 14th.

Two questions must be answered before a person can be found competent in the courts. Do they understand the charges against them? Can they rationally assist with their defense? The psychologist who evaluated Gentry said he could do both.