Jonesboro shooter fit to stand trial
Posted on Tuesday, July 15, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/bcdr/News/63735/
BENTONVILLE — After a brief delay, convicted Jonesboro school shooter Mitchell Johnson was declared fit to stand trial by Ozark Guidance in Springdale.
Johnson, 23, is charged with theft by receiving, a class C felony; financial identity fraud, a class B felony; and possession of a controlled or counterfeit substance, a class A misdemeanor. If convicted, Johnson could receive a prison sentence of three to 10 years on the theft charge and five to 20 years for the other felony. The misdemeanor charge is punishable with up to a year in jail.
Much of the report filed Monday in Circuit Court was sealed because it contained psychiatric information on Johnson, but a summary of the findings declared that he had no mental defects or diseases, and had the “ capacity to appreciate the criminality of the crime, ” and the “ capacity to conform to the requirements of the law. ”
“ Mitchell Scott Johnson, at the time of the examination, had the capacity to assist in his own defense, ” forensic psychiatrist Dr. Robin Ross wrote in the report.
Circuit Judge Tom Keith suspended the trial June 9 pending the outcome of Johnson’s examination. On Monday, Keith scheduled the trial to begin at 8: 30 a. m. Oct. 7.
Johnson was arrested Feb. 2 after police determined he had fraudulently used a credit card left at the Fastrip on South Walton Boulevard, where he worked as a clerk.
A customer reported that he accidentally left his credit card there and later found it was used to make unauthorized purchases in Bentonville and Fayetteville.
When officers arrested Johnson, they found him in possession of marijuana, according to court documents.
Johnson’s trial had been scheduled to begin June 24 before Keith granted the motion to seek the evaluation.
Johnson and Andrew Golden were convicted of five counts of capital murder after they shot and killed a teacher and four students on March 24, 1998, at Westside Middle School in Jonesboro. The two were held at a state juvenile facility until they turned 18. They were then held at a federal facility until they turned 21 for their convictions for having a gun on school property.
At the time of his February arrest, Johnson was awaiting sentencing following a Jan. 30 conviction for being a drug user while being in possession of a gun. That federal charge followed a traffic stop in Fayetteville when Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies found Johnson with marijuana and a loaded pistol. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $ 250, 000 fine for that offense.