Published: October 22, 2009 08:55 pm      

Marriott found competent for trial

‘He’s no more demented than I am.’

By Bob Belcher

Daily Sun



The jury was out only 15 minutes.

That’s all it took for them to decide that Lynn Marriott is competent to stand trial on charges of organized crime.

Jurors heard closing arguments Thursday morning before retiring into deliberations.

Marriott has been charged with engaging in organized crime related to his former business selling manufactured homes in Navarro and Kaufman counties. In March, his wife, Kandace, was sentenced to 99 years in prison for her part in the operation. He claims to be suffering from dementia, and not competent to stand trial.

Bill Glaspy, Marriott’s defense attorney, appealed to jurors to consider statements from doctors Marriott had seen who claimed he was suffering from the onset of dementia, and that he had been prescribed two different medications to treat dementia.

Glaspy also questioned the motives behind the testimony of Karen Hayes, Marriott’s sister-in-law, who Wednesday testified against him. He said Hayes only testified in hopes of the attorney general’s office agreeing to an early parole from her 18 year prison sentence for her part in the scheme.

“That’s what’s going to happen,” Glaspy said to the jury.

Shane Attaway, assistant attorney general prosecuting the case for the state, reminded the jury of a report from Dr. Mitchell Dunn of the Terrell State Hospital that claimed Marriott “faked” responses to psychiatric tests in an effort to sway the results, and claimed that testimony from Marriott’s psychiatrist, Dr. Cathrine Roberts, was driven by monetary interests.

“She was a ‘paid’ friend,” Attaway said.

Attaway also reminded jurors of the taped conversations played Wednesday, in which Marriott was heard saying he was “fixin’ to come down with dementia” when asked about his upcoming trial.

With the jury’s ruling, the case against Marriott is expected to begin in late February 2010.

“Most of us felt the defense didn’t prove otherwise,” said Bobby Bland, one of the jurors, interviewed after the panel was dismissed. He said the tape of Marriott and was important evidence for the jury.

Juror Linda Mertz agreed with Bland.

“He pretty much ‘cut his own throat,’” she said. “He’s no more demented than I am.”

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Bob Belcher may be reached via e-mail at belcher@corsicanadailysun.com. Want to “Soundoff” on this story? E-mail: soundoff@corsicanadailysun.com.