Psych assessment requested for alleged meth dealer

Dwight Lee DLG Aldan, who was arrested in As Lito on May 18 on one count of “possession with intent to distribute” more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, has requested the U.S. District Court for the NMI to order a psychiatric assessment for himself.

The motion for a psychiatric assessment, submitted by Aldan’s lawyer, Robert T. Torres, was filed at the district court on May 20 and was unopposed.

It was previously reported that Aldan is to be represented by Steven P. Pixley effective May 18. Pixley then filed a motion to withdraw as his lawyer on May 19, which was eventually granted. That’s how Torres ended up representing Aldan in this case.

In his May 20 motion filing, Torres states that the assessment for Aldan is “for purposes of the detention hearing on May 24,” and that the court should order Aldan’s psychiatric assessment through the U.S. Marshals Service in coordination with the U.S. Probation Office and the CNMI Department of Corrections. The agencies will then schedule an expedited appointment for Aldan at the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp.’s Family Care Clinic. Torres further mentions that the motion is unopposed by the government.

According to Torres, the government asserts that Aldan’s “continued detention is appropriate as he poses a serious risk of harm to himself, other persons including law enforcement personnel.” Furthermore, according to Torres, the government is in favor of Aldan’s continued detainment due to the circumstances surrounding Aldan’s May 18 arrest.

According to the May 20 filing, prior to being arrested, Aldan allegedly “threatened to harm himself and law enforcement officers effecting the arrest” by holding a knife to his throat and threatening self-harm as well as making verbal threats to law enforcement. After law enforcement calmly negotiated with Aldan, he surrendered the knife and submitted to being arrested.

Given the government’s concerns, Torres finds enough justification to schedule a psychiatric assessment for Aldan. Torres further states that he has met with Aldan and that his “mental competency is not at issue.” As such, Torres said the assessment should not be one for assessing mental competency, but for determining “what conditions of release may be appropriate even in the face of the rebuttable presumption in favor of detention.”

As of last Friday afternoon, the motion awaited further review.