The man who has acknowledged killing three people at a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic has told the court that he wants to represent himself.
Robert Lewis Dear, 57, was in a Colorado Springs courtroom Wednesday for a status hearing.
Like his last appearance, Dear made several outbursts, one of which to tell the judge his public defender Dan King can't represent him because King told the media his client is incompetent.
The judge ordered a psychiatric evaluation to take place in a state hospital in Pueblo, to determine if Dear is fit to represent himself.
"I do not want them as my lawyers. I invoke my Constitutional rights to defend myself," he said to the court, adding he refused to speak in an evaluation.
Dear said he fears a state hospital will drug him, making him into a "zombie," and he told the court to test his hair in the future for proof.
"Do I sound like a zombie?" he said in one outburst. "Do I sound like I have no intelligence?"
The judge cleared everyone from the courtroom but the defense attorneys and Dear to discuss self-representation. Upon resuming the hearing, the judge ruled a decision wouldn't be made until the evaluation was done. Prosecutors expect that to take at least six months. A judge can request for for an evaluation to be fast-racked, but Judge Gilbert Martinez said he hasn't had luck with similar requests in the past.
Lawyers for Dear have raised doubts several times about his competency to stand trial in the Nov. 27 shootout at the Colorado Springs facility that also left nine people injured.
Prosecutors have charged Dear with 179 counts, including first-degree murder, attempted murder and assault.
Dear was less disruptive in Wednesday's hearing than the one on Dec. 9, when he declared himself guilty and "a warrior for the babies." He objected to his lawyer's efforts to limit publicity.
MORE | Planned Parenthood suspect: 'I am warrior for the babies'
The Associated Press and other news outlets want a judge to unseal arrest and search warrants in the case. Dear told the court to unseal any documents.
Another status hearing is scheduled for Feb. 24.
