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Video related to this article is available below.Issue date: 2/8/07 Section: News
Court declares Cho unfit to stand trial
Emily Babay
Joseph Cho, a second-year law student who faces charges of attempted murder, has been deemed incompetent to stand trial, according to Cho's lawyer, Peter Bowers.
Cho, 31, is currently awaiting transportation to an in-patient medical facility where he will undergo further evaluation and treatment for an undetermined amount of time, Bowers said.
If doctors at the facility later determine that Cho is competent to stand trial, court officials will be alerted and criminal proceedings will continue.
University spokeswoman Lori Doyle has said Penn officials are concerned about Cho's psychological health.
"Hopefully, he'll get the help he needs," she said.
Cho was arrested Jan. 31 after allegedly firing nearly 15 shots into the door of his downstairs neighbors' apartment at 4339 Pine St. because he believed the two male Drexel University undergraduates living there were spying on him, police officials said.
Following Cho's arrest, medical professionals evaluated his mental status and decided to halt the legal process, Bowers said.
His preliminary hearing was scheduled for yesterday but did not take place because of the medical issues, Assistant District Attorney Matt Glazer said.
Police officials said Cho attempted to attack the Drexel students following a conversation the morning of the assault in which Cho, who is Korean, learned that the Drexel students were Indian and studying biomedical engineering.
When they did not answer their door that afternoon, Cho allegedly went to his second-floor apartment, retrieved his legal Glock 9mm handgun, shot off the Drexel students' door while firing 13 to 15 times and entered the apartment.
Cho did not find the one Drexel student in the apartment at the time of the incident, who remained hidden under a bed. Cho left the premises and returned later that day, when police officials arrested him in connection to the attack.
In addition to attempted murder, Cho faces charges of ethnic intimidation, burglary, aggravated assault and other related offenses.
Neither Drexel student was injured in the incident.
Cho, 31, is currently awaiting transportation to an in-patient medical facility where he will undergo further evaluation and treatment for an undetermined amount of time, Bowers said.
If doctors at the facility later determine that Cho is competent to stand trial, court officials will be alerted and criminal proceedings will continue.
University spokeswoman Lori Doyle has said Penn officials are concerned about Cho's psychological health.
"Hopefully, he'll get the help he needs," she said.
Cho was arrested Jan. 31 after allegedly firing nearly 15 shots into the door of his downstairs neighbors' apartment at 4339 Pine St. because he believed the two male Drexel University undergraduates living there were spying on him, police officials said.
Following Cho's arrest, medical professionals evaluated his mental status and decided to halt the legal process, Bowers said.
His preliminary hearing was scheduled for yesterday but did not take place because of the medical issues, Assistant District Attorney Matt Glazer said.
Police officials said Cho attempted to attack the Drexel students following a conversation the morning of the assault in which Cho, who is Korean, learned that the Drexel students were Indian and studying biomedical engineering.
When they did not answer their door that afternoon, Cho allegedly went to his second-floor apartment, retrieved his legal Glock 9mm handgun, shot off the Drexel students' door while firing 13 to 15 times and entered the apartment.
Cho did not find the one Drexel student in the apartment at the time of the incident, who remained hidden under a bed. Cho left the premises and returned later that day, when police officials arrested him in connection to the attack.
In addition to attempted murder, Cho faces charges of ethnic intimidation, burglary, aggravated assault and other related offenses.
Neither Drexel student was injured in the incident.
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PennMom
posted 2/08/07 @ 12:06 PM EST
How in the world did this young man get a legal Glock? Are the gun laws so lax in Pennsylvania that some one can come from a foreign country and just buy one?
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