Fayette judge enters order for mental evaluation for man charged in 2006 homicide
Nine months after one Fayette County judge ordered a criminal homicide suspect to have a mental evaluation at a state hospital, a second has entered a similar order.
Craig Geness, 44, of Uniontown has been under an order to have his competency evaluated since November 2010, however, county prison officials have been unable to take him to Torrance State Hospital in Westmoreland County because the hospital said there are no beds available, Public Defender Jeffrey Whiteko said Wednesday.
Geness is charged with criminal homicide for allegedly pushing a Ronald Fiffik off a porch at McVey’s Personal Care Home on Oct. 27, 2006. Uniontown police allege Fiffik died of injuries associated with the fall on Nov. 17, 2006. Geness was charged shortly after Fiffik’s death, and has been in custody since his arrest.
Whiteko said Geness was taken to the now-closed Mayview State Hospital in Bridgeville in September 2007 for evaluation and treatment, but eventually returned to the county lockup when the hospital closed. Geness’ attorneys filed more court papers to have him sent for additional evaluations and treatment, and in November 2010, Judge John F. Wagner Jr. ordered him sent to Torrance State Hospital.
Because there are no beds available there, Whiteko said Geness is “lingering” in prison, still incompetent.
“Something has to be done,” he said. “What do we do? Do we just keep him in jail until he passes away?”
Assistant District Attorney Michelle L. Kelley said that there is no dispute that Geness is in need of mental health services.
President Judge Gerald R. Solomon, who conducted the hearing Wednesday, said that the situation can’t continue on the way it is.
He entered an order that Torrance State Hospital should take Geness, and evaluate him for his competency to stand trial. If they determine he is incompetent, the order indicated he should be treated.
“I don’t what effect it will have, but I’ll enter that order,” Solomon said.