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Dharmesh Patel’s psychosis, and his potential restoration, took middle stage at a listening to Wednesday to find out whether or not the physician can be admitted right into a psychological well being diversion program somewhat than face trial on prices of trying to homicide his spouse and two kids within the January 2023 crash. If a judge grants Patel’s request, the fees in opposition to him might be dismissed over the following couple of years, after he completes a court-ordered therapy program.
On Wednesday, a scientific and forensic psychologist stated Patel was a superb candidate for the diversion program as a result of he was a low danger for harming anybody else after displaying sturdy progress over the previous yr.
“I see him as somebody who may be very motivated and amenable to therapy,” stated the psychologist, Mark Patterson, who was known as to the stand by Patel’s legal professional. The clinician added that it was “clear to me he has a superb capability” to reply to therapy.
If the request is granted, a Stanford psychiatric clinician, James Armontrout, stated he’d oversee Patel’s therapy, which would come with intensive outpatient care involving group and particular person remedy periods, in addition to conferences with himself and a psychotherapist.
San Mateo County prosecutors, nevertheless, have filed motions opposing the request. They are anticipated to name their first witness when the case is again in court docket on May 2.
Prosecutors say Patel deliberately tried to kill his spouse and their two young children by driving off a 250-foot cliff onto a rocky seaside outdoors Half Moon Bay. Patel suffered accidents to his leg and foot, whereas his spouse suffered extra extreme accidents. Their 7-year-old baby was severely injured, and their 4-year-old solely suffered bruises.
Patel later pleaded not responsible, claiming the household’s Tesla had been experiencing tire points which will have prompted the crash. He allegedly informed investigators that he stopped thrice at fuel stations that day to place air in his left-rear tire whereas driving to the Devil’s Slide space. He added that the automobile’s tire-pressure sensor mild had turned on beforehand, authorities say.
He has since been held with out bail on the San Mateo County jail.
Patel’s psychological state has been a central challenge within the case, together with his spouse initially telling first responders that her husband was “depressed” and that “he was going to drive off the cliff. He purposely drove off.” Investigators additionally stated the Tesla’s self-driving options did “not seem like a contributing issue” within the incident.
Ultimately, the radiologist gave the impression to be experiencing a single expression of main depressive dysfunction that day, together with psychotic options and anxious misery, Patterson testified Wednesday. In the times earlier than the crash, Patel grew more and more delusional and overwhelmed about headlines from all over the world, such because the warfare in Ukraine and the U.S. fentanyl disaster, the psychologist stated.
Patel’s best delusions revolved across the danger of his kids being kidnapped and molested, which gave the impression to be tied in a roundabout way to his issues over the accused sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, the psychologist added.
Patterson’s prognosis got here after the psychologist performed 18 exams and spoke to Patel, together with the radiologist’s brother and sister.
Patel, the psychologist added, “nonetheless feels loads of regret.” But he reveals few, if any, lingering indicators of such despair, Patterson testified. And he stopped having delusions, even after being taken off anti-psychotic treatment whereas being held with out bail on the San Mateo County jail.
Prosecutors on Wednesday questioned Patterson about why he didn’t interview Patel’s spouse earlier than finishing his report; Patterson stated he didn’t consider such an interview would have given him considerably new data. Prosecutors additionally questioned whether or not the radiologist’s sickness extra carefully resembled schizoaffective dysfunction, an often-chronic situation just like schizophrenia. At least one different physician has recognized him with that situation, in keeping with court docket testimony.
They additionally centered extensively on statements that Patel made within the days instantly after the crash the place he denied having suicidal ideas or any psychological points. And they hounded Armontrout and Patterson about whether or not the radiologist himself or his household might be trusted to honestly report any re-emerging indicators of paranoid delusions, on condition that doing so may finally re-start prison proceedings and depart him prone to imprisonment.
State legislators in 2018 established the psychological well being diversion program as a approach for eligible defendants to see their circumstances dismissed in the event that they efficiently full a rigorous and prolonged therapy program.
To be eligible for this system, defendants should be recognized with a psychological sickness that has a direct connection to their alleged crime. The psychological sickness additionally should be treatable throughout the period of the diversion program, which is 2 years for felony circumstances and one yr for misdemeanor circumstances.
People accused of great felonies, equivalent to homicide, are ineligible for this system. However, the fees that Patel faces, which embrace tried homicide, make him eligible.
Even if Patel does win entry into this system, it’s unclear whether or not he’ll have the ability to observe medication anytime quickly. Last yr, a judge granted a request by the Medical Board of California to bar Patel from training medication whereas he awaits trial on the fees, with the company arguing that Patel represented “an alarming hazard to the general public” in mild of an “impairment of cognitive skills wanted to securely observe medication.”
The medical board has stated Patel will proceed to be barred from training medication “till the order is modified by the court docket or the prison case in opposition to him concludes.”
