Former monk says mental illness behind behavior
Knoxville News-Sentinel (TN)Sep 16, 2014
Court records allege Ross repeatedly forced a 7-year-old girl to touch him in a sexual manner from
The girl, now 17, did not report the alleged abuse until years later. According to statements made in court Monday during the trial's jury selection process, Ross was living at a
Ross confessed to the crime, according to defense attorney
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The crux of the legal fight between Johnson and Assistant District Attorney General
Ross, via Johnson, is not claiming he is innocent by reason of insanity. Instead, according to statements Johnson made Monday, Ross will seek to show he was suffering from bipolar disorder and the molestation occurred during "manic" episodes of that mental illness.
Jury selection showed, however, a key hurdle for the defense team and an unusual issue -- should Ross get a legal pass for behavior he says was caused by his mental illness when he refused to take medications designed to control it?
Johnson spent hours Monday probing potential jurors' attitudes on that issue. Some jurors pushed back against the notion of blaming a mental illness Ross chose not to treat.
"I know if I don't take my medication when I'm supposed to, that's my risk," one woman told Johnson.
The woman said her brother suffered the same bipolar disorder and repeatedly ran afoul of the law after refusing his medication. Each time, she said, her brother was warned of the consequences of failing to take his medication but chose to ignore it.
She did not survive the final selection process.
A jury of eight women and four men were seated late Monday afternoon to decide the case. Opening statements will begin today.
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