Trott appeal cites concerns about mental fitness during police interviews

Attorneys for the man convicted of killing a Rockwell City police officer in 2013 have filed an appeal on his behalf with the Iowa Supreme Court.
Corey Trott was sentenced to life in prison last fall for fatally shooting Officer Jamie Buenting Sept. 13, 2013. Assistant Appellate Defender Stephan Japuntich filed the appeal March 16, after receiving several extensions from the state’s highest court.
Japuntich raised questions about Trott’s mental competency, at least while Trott was initially taken into police custody following the shooting. A judge in 2014 deemed Trott competent to stand trial. One doctor, during the competency hearing process, described Trott as being under the influence of a “paranoid and delusional thought process,” according to the appeal. Japuntich said the District Court did not properly address some issues, such as Trott’s sleep deprivation after being arrested, and during his subsequent interviews.
“Additionally, Mr. Trott’s bizarre statements during the interview should give rise to whether or not he understood his rights and was able to waive them in a knowing, voluntary and intelligent fashion,” Japuntich wrote in the appeal. “(T)he question of his competence at the time of the interview must be taken into account. The delusional thought process exhibited by Mr. Trott during the interview should give pause for concern.”
Read more in the March 25 edition.