PORTLAND — A judge on has ordered a man accused of threatening U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, his family and an unnamed Oregon state official in phone calls and emails, to be involuntarily medicated so he can be returned to competency and stand trial.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman’s ruling came after a hearing with Nathanial Luffman as well as the chief of psychiatry and others at a medical center in Springfield, Missouri.
Psychiatrists at the center diagnosed Luffman with schizophrenia.
He was found not competent to aid in his defense in February. Since then, forensic psychologist Ashely Christiansen testified he has adamantly refused to show any willingness to take psychotropic medication to help restore his competency.
Luffman, previously of Kentucky, was arrested in Berkeley, California, in June 2018 and transferred to Oregon to face a four-count federal indictment. He’s pleaded not guilty to charges of threatening a federal official, threatening the family of a federal official and two counts of interstate communication.
