A judge on Wednesday ordered Nathanial B. Luffman, who is accused of threatening U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, his family and an unnamed Oregon state official in phone calls and emails, to be involuntarily medicated with anti- psychotic drugs at a federal medical center to treat his schizophrenia so he can be returned to competency and stand trial. U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman’s ruling came after an hourlong hearing and videoconference with Luffman sitting beside the chief of psychiatry, a forensic psychologist and an intern at the medical center in Springfield, Missouri.
Luffman, 33, will become one of the 90 to 100 people involuntarily medicated at the Springfield center on any given day, according to Dr. Robert Gary Sarrazin, its chief of psychiatry.
Psychiatrists at the center diagnosed Luffman with schizophrenia, finding he suffers from delusions, hallucinations and has displayed disruptive and bizarre behavior. He believes the charges he’s facing are based on a conspiracy to silence him, Emma Welch, a predoctoral psychology intern, testified at the hearing via live feed.
He was found not competent to aid in his defense in February. Since then, he has “stridently and adamantly refused’’ to show any willingness to take psychotropic medication to help restore his competency, forensic psychologist Ashely Christiansen testified.
The government requested that Luffman be medicated involuntarily.
Click for Full Text!
