Next week’s preliminary hearing in the case against the Boulder King Soopers mass-shooting suspect has been delayed to allow officials time to determine whether he’s mentally competent to stand trial.
The delay comes after Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty argued that Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa’s mental state is not a barrier to the hearing and raised concerns about the timing of the public defender bringing the issue before the court.
Boulder County District Court Judge Ingrid Bakke on Thursday ordered that Alissa’s hearing scheduled for Tuesday morning be vacated and converted to an advisement hearing. At that hearing, Bakke will order court officials to undertake an evaluation of Alissa’s mental competency.
Prosecutors had been scheduled to argue at Tuesday’s hearing that they have sufficient probable cause to proceed to trial against Alissa and that he should continue to be held without bail while the case against him is pending.
“Regarding the issue of bond, the Court finds it cannot make adequate findings without the personal participation of the Defendant…” Bakke wrote in her order.