William Connell, the man accused of setting fire to St. Raphael Cathedral, 222 W. Main St., was found mentally competent by a psychological examination conducted by psychologist Dr. Patricia Coffey.
Criminal Court Commissioner Todd Meurer ordered the examination after Connell's attorney Rhoda Ricardi said she had reason to believe Connell was not competent to proceed in the criminal justice system.
A ruling on the issue of Connell's competency was delayed Friday and will go before Dane County Circuit Judge Moria Krueger this week.
Connell is charged with arson, burglary and bail jumping for the March 15 blaze. According to the criminal complaint against him, Connell admitted he started the fire and broke into the church with a crowbar he stole from a construction site. Connell declined to say how or why he started the fire.
An Amnesty International Report released Friday stated there were 103 Taser-related deaths in the United States and Canada between June 2001 and March 2005.
There were 13 Taser-related deaths in the first six months of this year, compared with six during the same period last year, the report stated.
Although Taser stun-guns have been touted as a safer and less lethal form of stymieing combative people, they have come under increasing scrutiny as many deaths have been blamed on the devices.
Taser International Inc. President Tom Smith told The Capital Times
o confrontation is risk free. The Taser is the safest way to end violent confrontations for law enforcement.""
However, the report challenged Taser's claims that the stun-guns have saved more than 6,000 lives.
U.S. District Attorney John Van Hollen, a candidate for Wisconsin Attorney General in 2006, crashed his 1974 Piper Warrior PA 28 plane at the Waunakee Airport Saturday.
Neither Van Hollen nor his passenger were injured, although the plane, valued at $50,000, is considered a complete loss.
According to a police report, upon landing, Van Hollen ran out of runway space and crossed a street. He attempted to regain altitude but instead struck a fence and basketball hoop. Property damage was estimated from $2,000 to $3,000.
