ST. LOUIS — A former dentist at the center of a Supreme Court ruling on the forced medication of mentally ill defendants pleaded no contest Friday in a murder conspiracy and fraud case, and was sentenced to time served and six months in a halfway house.
Under the plea, Charles “Tom” Sell acknowledges federal prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him, while admitting no guilt. Prosecutors dropped 54 other counts of Medicaid and mail fraud and conspiracy charges.
Sell, 55, was accused of conspiracy to murder a federal witness and an FBI agent who arrested him in 1997, U.S. Attorney James Martin said.
Sell was the subject of a 2003 U.S. Supreme Court decision that said that “prosecutors could not force Sell to take medication that would make him competent to stand trial.” Sell v. United States.
I guess that’s moot now. Click the link below to continue reading:
ST. LOUIS — A former dentist at the center of a Supreme Court ruling on the forced medication of mentally ill defendants pleaded no contest Friday in a murder conspiracy and fraud case, and was sentenced to time served and six months in a halfway house.
Under the plea, Charles “Tom” Sell acknowledges federal prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him, while admitting no guilt. Prosecutors dropped 54 other counts of Medicaid and mail fraud and conspiracy charges.
Sell, 55, was accused of conspiracy to murder a federal witness and an FBI agent who arrested him in 1997, U.S. Attorney James Martin said.
Sell was the subject of a 2003 U.S. Supreme Court decision that said that “prosecutors could not force Sell to take medication that would make him competent to stand trial.” Sell v. United States.
I guess that’s moot now. Click the link below to continue reading:
ST. LOUIS — A former dentist at the center of a Supreme Court ruling on the forced medication of mentally ill defendants pleaded no contest Friday in a murder conspiracy and fraud case, and was sentenced to time served and six months in a halfway house.
Under the plea, Charles “Tom” Sell acknowledges federal prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him, while admitting no guilt. Prosecutors dropped 54 other counts of Medicaid and mail fraud and conspiracy charges.
Sell, 55, was accused of conspiracy to murder a federal witness and an FBI agent who arrested him in 1997, U.S. Attorney James Martin said.
Sell was the subject of a 2003 U.S. Supreme Court decision that said that “prosecutors could not force Sell to take medication that would make him competent to stand trial.” Sell v. United States.
I guess that’s moot now. Click the link below to continue reading:
Sell, who once had a successful dentistry practice, has been diagnosed with a delusional disorder. He once told doctors the gold he used for fillings had been contaminated by Communists, and another time called police to report he saw a leopard boarding a bus. He refused medication because it could cause harmful side effects.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June 2003 that prosecutors could not force Sell to take medication that would make him competent to stand trial. In the 6-3 ruling, the court said forcibly drugging a defendant solely for trial competence is appropriate only in limited circumstances.
Last July, a federal judge found Sell’s mental condition had improved and that he was finally competent to stand trial. In November, however, a judge ordered more testing after his lawyers and prosecutors agreed that he was mentally unfit again.
Details here from the AP via Newsday.com.
Join the conversation!