State’s Attorney Seeks Delay in Hoggle Competency Ruling
Sarah and Jacob Hoggle
The Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office is asking a Circuit Court judge to hold off ruling on Catherine Hoggle’s competency for four more months, according to a motion filed this week.
Hoggle, 32, faces murder charges in the deaths of her two children, Sarah and Jacob. She has been ruled incompetent since the children’s disappearance in 2014.
“She is, however, approaching a level of understanding in which she could be considered competent. The defendant has been closer to competency than she has been in prior years,” the motion says, quoting Dr. Christiane Tellefsen.
In July, State’s Attorney John McCarthy sought and won the ability for Tellefsen to evaluate Hoggle. Hoggle’s previous evaluations have taken place at the Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center in Jessup where she has been committed. Tellefsen is a former director at Perkins.
According to online court records, Tellefsen submitted her report Wednesday, and it remains under seal. Such reports are medical records and are not subject to public inspection.
The State’s Attorney’s Office motion also was filed Wednesday.
Although the evaluation cannot be viewed, the motion provides some details. It says Hoggle is taking Clozapine, an antipsychotic medication used in treating schizophrenia, as part of a medication trial.
Hoggle has not reached the maximum dose of the medication because she has complained about the drug’s side effects.
“Dr. Tellefsen further states in her report that the defendant has been partially responsive to the Clozapine and that her treating physician is cautiously optimistic that the defendant will improve further,” the motion states.
The motion seeks any hearing on her competency delayed until December to allow Hoggle to continue the Clozapine trial.
“Upon completion of that trial, Dr. Tellefsen would then return to reevaluate the [defendant’s] mental state and provide a final opinion on the issue of competency to stand trial,” it reads.
Hoggle’s attorney, David Felsen, objected to the statements in the motion.
“The state has mischaracterized Dr. Tellefsen’s report,” he said. “In our view Dr. Tellefsen’s report is extremely consistent with the prior reports submitted by Perkins Hospital in this matter. The state’s impugning of the doctors at Perkins has been demonstrated to be improper.”
No date has been set yet on when Judge Robert A. Greenberg would hear the State’s Attorney’s Office motion.
“We’ll let the judge determine it and we’ll move forward accordingly,” said Ramon Korionoff, spokesman for McCarthy.
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