Competency hearing scheduled for Serna

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A hearing to determine the competency of the juvenile charged in the Jan. 20 shooting at West Liberty-Salem High School is scheduled this month.

According to an entry filed last Thursday in the Champaign County Common Pleas Court Juvenile Division, a competency hearing for Ely R. Serna, 17, is scheduled for March 29.

In the entry, Judge Lori Reisinger states the court received a competence to stand trial evaluation Thursday and copies of the evaluation will be provided to Champaign County Prosecutor Kevin Talebi, Serna’s attorney, Dennis Lieberman, and his legal custodian.

Reisinger further states neither party is to disseminate the evaluation except as necessary to receive clarification of the contents, and any objections to the evaluation or any requests for additional evaluation must be filed no later than March 23.

The evaluation to determine Serna’s competency to stand trial was ordered during a Feb. 3 status hearing.

Serna faces 13 charges, including two counts of attempted murder and six counts of improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation or a school safety zone.

West Liberty-Salem High School student Logan Cole was one of two students injured in the shooting. Cole returned to school in mid-February following weeks of recovery from injuries sustained in the shooting.

By Nick Walton

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Nick Walton can be reached at 937-652-1331 Ext. 1777 or on Twitter @UDCWalton.

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