Former UW-Madison football player Leonard Taylor Jr. was found competent to stand trial Wednesday after having made death threats against Athletic Director Barry Alvarez.
Dr. Erik Knudson, staff psychiatrist at the Mendota Mental Health Institute, filed a report in court stating Taylor, 32, was competent for trial, but Knudson said he was legally unable to comment on the report or details of the hearing.
Taylor had been undergoing treatment and observation at the Mendota facility since December. Assistant District Attorney Robert Kaiser said the court similarly found Taylor competent for trial and Taylor then waived his right to a preliminary hearing.
""He was agreeing that the state could probably show that he probably committed a felony,"" Kaiser said in regard to the waiver.
Kaiser said the case would move to trial court and an arraignment, where the formal charges will be filed. The state is tentatively charging Taylor with stalking, a felony, and unlawful telephone use involving threats, a misdemeanor.
Kaiser said he could not comment on whether Taylor's actions Wednesday indicate he would plead guilty in the criminal trial.
Leonard Taylor Sr. said his son has been found incompetent for trial in past cases, and the U.S. Navy found him unable to serve because of his condition when Taylor tried to join in 2000.
""He is not competent to stand trial, I don't know how they came to that finding,"" Taylor Sr. said.
He said Taylor was on and off medication for the past year and that he did not appear stable last month. He said Taylor's mother was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
Assistant State Public Defender Jon Helland, Taylor's attorney, was unavailable for comment as of press time.
Taylor played football from 1995-1996, during which time Alvarez was head coach.
In 2005, Taylor's then-girlfriend charged him with stalking and harassment.
