Previous Story
Expert psychiatrist for Mathewson still being sought
|
Posted on Sep 02 2015
Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho urged the Office of the Public Defender yesterday to keep looking for an expert psychiatrist who can examine William Kapono Mathewson, a 36-year-old man charged with beating and stabbing Dr. Francois Claassens with a fishing spear in the neck.
Chief Public Defender Douglas Hartig and assistant public defender Michael Sato, counsels for Mathewson, updated the court yesterday on the status of their search for an expert psychiatrist.
Camacho later set a status conference for Oct. 28, 2015, and ordered all parties to appear at the next hearing.
Chief Prosecutor Leonardo Rapadas and assistant attorney general Barbara Cepeda appeared for the government at the hearing.
Mathewson’s case has become stalled because he has yet to be examined by a psychiatrist.
This is the second time that Camacho put off the status conference after learning that Mathewson has yet to be subjected to mental evaluation.
In July, Hartig and Sato told the court that the Hawaii psychiatrist that they are contacting is still awaiting payment for services in three or four previous cases.
The lawyers said the other option is to allow the psychiatrist to conduct the initial evaluation through Skype to save costs for the government.
At that time, Skype was not possible due to an Internet outage that crippled communications systems in the CNMI.
Camacho explained that the court can only appoint a psychiatrist but the payment should come from the Department of Finance.
It was in April when Camacho granted Sato’s request to appoint a psychiatrist who will examine Mathewson, capping the expense at $1,500.
Sato had disclosed that Mathewson will rely upon the defense of insanity at the time when he committed the alleged crime.
Mathewson, a farmer/fisherman, allegedly stabbed the 60-year-old Claassens in the neck with a fishing spear and clubbed him on the head with a big pot and chain.
The brutal attack happened in the backyard of the doctor’s house in Teneto Village on Rota last April 4. Mathewson’s house is near the doctor’s residence.
Claassens has since recovered from his injuries.
