Court won't review Loughner meds ruling

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TUCSON, June 6 (UPI) -- A federal appeals court said it won't review its decision on forcibly medicating Jared Loughner, accused in the mass shooting in Tucson last year.

Loughner, 23, is accused of opening fire in front of a Tucson supermarket, killing six people and wounding 13 others, including former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. He has been in a Missouri prison hospital since March 2011, undergoing a restoration to mental competency so he can stand trial.

His attorneys have argued Loughner should have had a court hearing rather than an administrative hearing at the hospital before he was medicated.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Tuesday denied the defense's request that a larger panel of judges reconsider a three-judge panel's ruling about forcing Loughner to be medicated, The (Phoenix) Arizona Republic reported.

Loughner's restoration period is supposed to end Thursday.

A competency hearing is scheduled for June 27 in Tucson, the Republic said, but the judge, prosecutors and defense have said Loughner can't be released from the prison hospital.