PHOENIX — Lori Vallow's attorneys are trying to convince a Maricopa County judge that Vallow is competent to stand trial in Arizona.
Vallow was convicted last year in Idaho in the death of her children, Tylee and JJ, who used to live in the Valley. She was also convicted for her role in the death of Tammy Daybell, her current husband Chad Daybell's first wife.
Vallow was sentenced to life in prison in that state. Chad Daybell was later sentenced to death in Idaho in the same case. Investigators believe dark religious beliefs were behind the crimes.
Last November, Lori Vallow was extradited from Idaho to Arizona to face two conspiracy to commit murder charges in Maricopa County. One charge is out of Chandler in the death of her former husband. The other stems from a shooting attempt in Gilbert at her niece’s ex-husband, who ultimately wasn’t injured.
She's pleaded not guilty to the charges in Arizona and has been booked in the Estrella Jail in Phoenix for almost a year.
Last month, one of her prior attorneys requested her competency be evaluated. Soon after, she was assigned new attorneys who think Lori Vallow is mentally fit for trial and don't think competency evaluations are necessary. Her new attorneys asked the judge to end that process, noting that Vallow wants a speedy trial and wants to represent herself.
Prosecutors, however, argued that Vallow should cooperate with the competency process, which already started. The process, known as Rule 11 in Arizona, typically means a defendant will be evaluated by doctors to determine whether she's competent. Those evaluations are submitted to the court for review before the case can move forward.
Competency is an issue that came up before in Vallow's Idaho case. There, she was found incompetent and sent to a state hospital to be restored for several months before moving forward with that trial.
Ultimately, the judge in Arizona decided to keep Vallow in the competency proceedings just to play it safe in case of appeals. If Vallow is found competent, he believes the case could move forward pretty quickly, especially if she were able to represent herself.
Vallow is scheduled for another competency hearing next month. The trial for this case is currently scheduled for February 2025.
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