Kenneth L. Curtis

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Kenneth L. Curtis (born August 3, 1965) is a former college student from

pre-med student. He again was charged with the killing, found competent, and subsequently pleaded guilty to manslaughter.[2]

The case (Connecticut vs. Kenneth Curtis) changed the views in the justice system of mental competence to stand trial.

civil commitment.[4]

Legal case

On October 30, 1987, Curtis shot his estranged girlfriend Donna Kalson in a bar parking lot in

brain damaged and paralyzed
.

After being released from the hospital, Curtis was charged with Kalson's murder and the attempted murder of her friend.

mental institution
. He was allowed to return home. Kalson's family was initially unaware of this.

This did not sit well with Donna Kalson's parents when they learned, following a tip, that Curtis was attending a local college. The Kalsons arranged for their own investigation of Curtis. Reporters for

credits was 3.3,;[7] information that was obtained from a search warrant on Curtis's grades at three colleges executed by Stratford police.[8] His actions on campus, including a conversation the reporters had directly with Curtis, were filmed by reporters. While Curtis's defense team called many doctors to testify on his behalf, the video produced by the network was viewed as overwhelming evidence in favor of declaring him mentally competent.[9]

Curtis's defense team attempted to fight the actions taken against him, claiming that he was already declared incompetent and could not be tried due to a Connecticut law that required such closure of all cases of this type after 18 months. They took their battles all the way to the Connecticut Supreme Court.[10] Double jeopardy laws and other laws were not considered to be applicable, and Curtis was ordered to stand trial.

Curtis

pleaded guilty in 1999 to manslaughter and received a 20-year prison sentence, the maximum allowed for charges of manslaughter.[11][12]

Curtis was paroled in 2011.[13]

External links

  • People Magazine article on the Kenneth Curtis case; describes many details
  • Social Work and the Law by Ira A. Neighbors, Anne Chambers, Ellen Levin, Gila Nordman, Cynthia Tutrone, National Organization of Forensic Social Work,
    ISBN 0-7890-1548-X
    , pages 15–19; describes the case and its impact on the justice system

References

  1. ^ MacFarquhar, Neil (September 17, 1999). "Guilty Plea in '87 Killing; Case Altered Competency Laws". New York Times. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
  2. ^ "METRO NEWS BRIEFS: CONNECTICUT; Student Loses His Bid To Quash Murder Counts". The New York Times. August 26, 1998. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
  3. ISBN 9780789015488
    . Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  4. ISBN 9780789015488
    . Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  5. ^ "Connecticut in legal quandary over man accused of murder". CNN. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
  6. ^ "Fit to Be Tried". people.com. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  7. ^ "News of the Weird | Miami New Times". miaminewtimes.com. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  8. ISBN 9780789015488
    . Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  9. ^ "news/1999/may/05131999-curtis". video.wtnh.com. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  10. ^ "news/1998/sep/093098". video.wtnh.com. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  11. ^ "Man Found Incompetent but Gets Prison". Los Angeles Times. December 4, 1999. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
  12. ^ "www.ctinmateinfo.state.ct.us/detailsupv.asp?id_inmt_num=260245". ctinmateinfo.state.ct.us. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  13. ^ "Connecticut Local News and News 8 Video - New Haven, Hartford | WTNH". wtnh.com. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kenneth_L._Curtis&oldid=1146433541"