John E. DuPont Trial: 1997

DuPont was charged with murder and assault. In February the court ordered a competency examination, and in September, Delaware County judge Patricia Jenkins ruled that John DuPont was mentally incompetent to stand trial, and ordered that he be sent to a state psychiatric hospital for compulsory treatment. Several psychiatrists eventually testified that DuPont was a paranoid schizophrenic who wove complicated conspiracy theories involving Tibetan Buddhists, the CIA, Nazis, and Jesus. In light of this testimony the judge declared the 57-year-old DuPont psychotic and unable to help his attorneys mount a rational defense. Judge Jenkins chastised both prosecution and defense attorneys for not seeking treatment for the defendant earlier. The judge ordered a hearing on the state of DuPont's mental health every 90 days until he was found competent to stand trial. DuPont's relations then petitioned the county court to obtain control of his finances, claiming he was no longer capable of managing them.