Doctors doubt Loughner's competency

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TUCSON, May 17 (UPI) -- Evaluations of Jared Loughner, accused in the shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 18 others, indicate doubts about his competency, court filings show.

Two federal court filings Monday in the case indicate two health professionals who evaluated Loughner's mental state determined he isn't competent to stand trial for the Jan. 8 shooting during a political event Gifford, D-Ariz., was conducting outside of a Tucson grocery store in which six people died, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

A competency hearing for Loughner is scheduled for May 25. The filings, one by the defense and the other by the prosecution, agreed that the doctors who evaluated Loughner won't have to testify and said the sides would not dispute the written reports, the Journal said.

"My initial gut reaction would be that both have found him not competent to stand trial," said Kurt Altman, a former assistant U.S. attorney in Phoenix who isn't involved in the case.

Altman said defense lawyers wouldn't object to a finding of incompetence since it would delay Loughner's trial.

People familiar with this portion of the proceedings told the Journal prosecutors couldn't argue the findings because they pushed for the competency exams.

The rampage left six people dead, including a federal judge and a young girl, and 13 wounded, including Giffords, who is recovering from a bullet wound to the head. On Monday, she was in Florida to watch the Endeavour space shuttle launch captained by her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly.

Loughner has been in custody since he was arrested at the scene of the shooting.