Psychiatrist called in for Zeta-Jones case

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- A Los Angeles judge called in a psychiatrist to determine if the woman accused of stalking Catherine Zeta-Jones is mentally competent to stand trial.

Judge John Shepard Wiley Jr. said Tuesday Dr. Kal Sharma will file a report by Sept. 15 as to whether Dawnette Knight, 33, is able to take the stand in her own defense, KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, reported Wednesday.

Legal proceedings were suspended July 30 and a mental evaluation ordered after Richard Herman, Knight's attorney, questioned whether his client could testify if required to stand trial.

Knight reportedly took an overdose of barbiturates while in prison, but is "doing better," Herman said.

"I'm confident that (Dr. Sharma) will now find my client competent. And I am hopeful that he will ... look at her underlying mental health, which will show once and for all that my client's not a threat to anyone, never was a threat to anyone and this is just unusual stuff," Herman said.

If Knight is found competent, proceedings will resume to determine is she should stand trail on a stalking charge and 24 counts of making criminal threats against Zeta-Jones.