Rutledge To Have Evaluation At State Hospital

Richard Rutledge is scheduled to receive a mental evaluation at the Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs.

During a status hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 27, attorneys agreed to have Rutledge taken to the state hospital for a full mental evaluation starting on Nov. 10.

District Judge David J. Cybulski urged the parties to move steadily forward since Rutledge has been in the county jail since January 2019. The judge said public defenders have made requests for continuances about 11 times.

“It has reached the point that I consider insanity,” Cybulski said. Dan Guzynski of the Montana Attorney General’s office said that having Rutledge determined to be fit to proceed with speed up the process.

Public defender J.D. Wheatcroft is Rutledge’s current attorney. The state requested that an additional attorney helps with the case. Wheatcroft agreed that the assistance will be beneficial.

Rutledge is facing two counts of sexual intercourse without consent and two counts of incest.

Wheatcroft said he needs to travel to Wolf Point in order to pick up all the discovery materials from Rutledge’s previous attorney.

Although Wheatcroft acted like phone calls between him and the defendant have been productive, Rutledge expressed his disagreement.

“We don’t see eye to eye on anything,” Rutledge said. “He curses at me and yells and screams.”

Parties agreed to have a status conference at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 14, to make sure that Rutledge has a second counsel.