COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -A mental health evaluation of former Ohio State football star Maurice Clarett found he is competent to stand trial on robbery charges, his attorney said Friday.
A judge had ordered Clarett to be examined following his Aug. 9 arrest after a highway chase and violent struggle with police, who found four loaded guns in his SUV.
Prosecutors told Franklin County Common Pleas Judge David Fais at a hearing in Clarett's robbery case that they had read the psychological evaluation and agreed to have it entered as an exhibit in the trial. Fais said the findings will not be released until presented at trial.
``It was a determination of competency,'' said Michael Hoague, one of Clarett's attorneys, after Friday's brief hearing.
Fais asked Clarett during the proceeding if he understood his trial would begin Sept. 18.
``Yes, sir,'' said Clarett, sporting a beard and brown jail clothing. Clarett's mother sat in the courtroom, holding his newborn daughter in her lap. His girlfriend, who gave birth to the child this summer, also attended the hearing.
Clarett, 22, is accused of robbing two people of a cell phone outside a Columbus bar early New Year's Day. He has pleaded not guilty.
His attorneys, who objected to the mental health evaluation when it was ordered after his Aug. 9 arrest, downplayed the significance of the findings.
``I've always felt he was competent,'' attorney Nick Mango said. Clarett, who remains in jail, is clear minded as he focuses on trial preparations, Mango said.
Friday, the judge agreed to let potential jurors answer a questionnaire about their knowledge of the case and the media coverage surrounding Clarett. A draft of the questionnaire is to be completed next week by prosecutors and defense attorneys.
The defense team has expressed concern about Clarett being fairly tried in the county.
Last week, Clarett's attorneys asked the court to pay for a public opinion poll to determine if an impartial jury could be seated for the robbery trial in the county where he once starred on the field. But Fais denied the request Wednesday.
On Thursday, Clarett, who led Ohio State to the 2002 national championship, was indicted on five charges stemming from his Aug. 9 arrest. Clarett has been charged with carrying a concealed weapon, two counts of failure to comply with an order from a police officer, improper handling of a firearm and one count of using a gun while under indictment on the New Year's Day robbery.
Clarett scored the winning touchdown in the second overtime of the Fiesta Bowl to lead Ohio State to the 2002 national championship, but that was the last game he played for the Buckeyes.
After dropping out of Ohio State, he lost a U.S. Supreme Court case challenging the NFL's requirement that players wait three years after high school before turning pro. The Denver Broncos made Clarett a surprise third-round pick in the NFL's 2005 draft but cut him during the preseason.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
