Thursday, February 25, 1999
Abandoned baby's mom faces more mental tests
BY MICHAEL D. CLARK
The Cincinnati Enquirer
LEBANON — A Warren County judge has ordered a woman who abandoned her newborn daughter in a trash can to undergo more psychological tests before her competency hearing next month.
Common Pleas Judge P. Daniel Fedders made the ruling Wednesday after a pretrial conference between prosecutors and the lawyer for Deborah Mackey of Middletown, charged with attempted murder. Ms. Mackey, free on $50,000 bond, was examined by a defense psychologist last week. She now must undergo further mental examination at the Pauline Warfield Lewis Center in Cincinnati in the wake of her change of plea Wednesday from not guilty to not guilty by reason of insanity.
Assistant county prosecutor Joanne Hash said Judge Fedders ordered Ms. Mackey to appear at a competency trial March 25. Her trial before Judge Fedders is to begin April 19.
Donald Oda II, Ms. Mackey's lawyer, said a psychological examination of his client last week prompted the decision to change her plea to not guilty by reason of insanity. He declined, however, to discuss details of her mental health examinations to date.
“They cannot bring her to trial until such time that she is found mentally competent. If she is found incompetent, she would be hospitalized,” Mr. Oda said.
Ms. Mackey is charged in connection with the birth of Holly Ann Mackey, born six weeks premature and dubbed “Baby Hope” by those who took her from a trash can at a Franklin company Dec. 14.
The baby, now in the custody of her father, suffers from a fatal birth defect that will likely mean a short life of little, if any, consciousness.
Doctors say the defect is unrelated to premature birth or her abandonment. She was put into her father's temporary custody Feb. 14 after weeks in intensive care at Children's Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio.
Police investigators said Ms. Mackey, 38, hid her pregnancy from the father, with whom she was living in Middletown.
Rename Sabin? His wife hopes no
Dr. Sabin gave his name; he did not sell it
Indiana man arrested in church fires
Fire door saved church, marked suspect
School board vows to fight for Ten Commandments
Youngsters a tad fuzzy on their thou-shalts
Riverfront should be fun, people tell planning group
HAVE AN IDEA?
Convention center expansion has critic
Minister's spouse accuses ex-wife of pushing allegations
Passerby saves sinking motorist
State probe of gas explosion says CG&E violated regulations
Strong-mayor plan still one vote shy of making ballot
Bride, er, moose is wearing white
Bus drivers to return today
Crazy to be Cowboys
Hill gets record haul of Grammys
Grammy winners
Pilarczyk: Faith needs practice to stay vital
Convention center's unsung hero
Abandoned baby's mom faces more mental tests
Berry wrote he found peace
Biblical group shares its plans
Business aims to help schools as area grows
DNA clears dead man in killing
Fire at Scout camp considered suspect
Florence says 'no' to new hotel
Group adopts ship named for MU grad
Husband remains jailed in attack on wife
Lower profile pleases Boehner
Man found with teen faces court
Man who allegedly corrupted girl, 16, in jail
Parents, students back charter school
Portman's red-tape-cutting act OK'd
80-plus railroad track crossers cited
Senator joins push for safety wall
'Thunder' to hit Broadway
TRISTATE DIGEST
Warren reduces welfare cost 87%
West Chester concept OK'd
