Mental exam ordered for suspect in Lenexa playground attack
A mental evaluation was ordered Thursday for a Lenexa man accused of injuring several children on a playground earlier this week.
A Johnson County judge ordered the exam for 20-year-old Javon K. Locket to determine if he is competent to stand trial.
Defense attorney Mark Dupree, who asked for the evaluation, said that Locket has struggled with mental health issues for several years.
Locket was charged Wednesday with multiple crimes, including three counts of aggravated battery for allegedly assaulting children at a playground near his home in the 9200 block of Boehm Drive. At least one of the children suffered a concussion.
In order to be competent, a criminal defendant must be able to understand the nature of court proceedings and be able to assist in his own defense.
Court records don’t reflect how long the evaluation will take. Locket is being held in the Johnson County Jail on a bond of $100,000.
Tony Rizzo, trizzo@kcstar.com
This story was originally published March 26, 2015 at 10:51 AM with the headline "Mental exam ordered for suspect in Lenexa playground attack."