A judge is set to rule Wednesday afternoon on the mental state of a man who acknowledged killing three people at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado.
Judge Gilbert Martinez is expected to announce whether criminal proceedings should continue against 57-year-old Robert Dear.
If the judge decides Dear isn't mentally competent, the case would be put on hold while Dear undergoes treatment at a psychiatric hospital designed to restore his competency.
Dear is charged with 179 counts, including murder, attempted murder and assault, in the Nov. 27 shootings at the Colorado Springs clinic. Three people died, nine people were injured.
In courtroom outbursts, Dear has said he is guilty and called himself a "warrior for the babies."
Chief District Judge Gilbert Martinez ordered a mental exam for Dear after the suspect announced at a previous hearing that he wanted to fire his public defenders and represent himself.
The exam was conducted at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo.
Forensic evaluator Jackie Grimmett, Psy.D, met with Dear twice, for a total of two-and-a-half hours along with Dr. B. Thomas Gray.
Grimmett and Gray both determined that Dear has delusional disorder and concluded his mental illness is impacting his ability to stand trial.
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