Federal Judge Gives State Time to Fix Competency Problems

SEATTLE (AP) — A federal judge says the state of Washington has failed to implement a long list of changes to ensure it complies with a permanent injunction requiring timely competency services to mentally ill defendants.

But U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman agreed to give the state until May to fix the problems as long as a new set of interim deadlines and new rules are met.

Pechman says it's necessary to force the Washington Department of Social and Health Services to follow a strict schedule and perform specific actions because allowing it to work on its own schedule has resulted in an increase in the amount of time mentally ill people must wait in jail.

Failure to meet any of her new deadlines will result in a contempt of court hearing.