Eli Hart’s mother refuses to participate in competency exam, hearing delayed
Mugshot for Julissa Thaler (Credit: Hennepin Co. Jail)
A hearing for the woman charged with killing her 6-year-old son was delayed Tuesday after she refused to participate in a court-ordered competency evaluation.
Julissa Angelica Genrich Thaler, 28, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Eli Hart back in May.
Thaler had a hearing Tuesday, but Judge Lisa Janzen learned that Thaler wasn’t participating in the competency examination she’d ordered.
Janzen reset the hearing for Sept. 27 to give Thaler three more weeks to participate in the exam. State law does allow for the court-appointed examiner to issue an opinion as to whether a defendant’s refusal to participate is from cognitive impairment. It also would allow Janzen to prevent Thaler from offering any evidence regarding her mental state and strike any previously introduced evidence of her mental condition.
If found competent, Thaler’s criminal proceedings would continue. If not, they’d be suspended until she is found competent.
Thaler was stopped on May 20 and found covered with blood. Hart was later found in her vehicle’s trunk.
The boy’s father, Tory Hart, last month filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Dakota County and three employees for ignoring the warning signs that led to his son’s death.
