LAKEPORT— A petition for conservatorship for a Lakeport man that had been charged with the 2018 fatal stabbing of his father and the attempted murder of his mother has been continued again.
During a recent hearing in which the defendant, Steven Michael Fredericks, was not present, the correctional staff informed the Court staff the defendant was unavailable due to being in a safety cell.
Deputy County Counsel, Carlos Torrez was present and informed the Court that they are still waiting for placement at the Napa State Hospital and the initial conservatorship is set to expire – Torrez requested it be extended.
The Court ordered the letters and orders be extended to Sept. 6, 2023.
The matter has been set for a review hearing with an update on the placement for July 5, 2023 at the Lake County Superior Court in Lakeport.
Last June the conservatorship was granted continuation for another year.
A conservatorship is a court case where a judge appoints a responsible person or an organization (called the “conservator”) to care for an adult who cannot care for him/herself or manage his/her own finances.
The Court inquired the placement status of the defendant as the last minute order (2021) stated the admission date was three years out.
During last year’s hearing Nicole Johnson with Lake County Counsel had no information on the defendant’s current admission status.
At that time the matter had been set for a review hearing – placement in the Conservatorship matter – for 2023.
Fredericks was present in 2021 by remote appearance and in custody for a review hearing for the status of his conservatorship case.
Deputy County Counsel, Jonathan Louie, on behalf of the Lake County Public Guardian, advised the Court that a Murphy Conservatorship was granted in June of that year.
During a Further Proceedings Hearing in March of 2022, County Counsel stated they would be filing a Murphy Conservatorship.
A Murphy Conservatorship is one in which the conservatee is subject to a pending indictment or information charging him or her with a felony involving death, great bodily harm or threat to the physical well-being of another, in which “as a result of a mental disorder,” the conservatee is unable to understand the pending criminal proceedings and the conservatee has been found to be mentally incompetent.
The defendant has been charged with two counts of murder, attempted murder, causing injury to an elder and assault with a deadly weapon.
The charges stem from an incident in March of 2018 when Lake County Sheriff Deputies responded to reports of a stabbing just after 6:30 a.m. in the 6300 block of Lyons Road, across Highway 29 from the Nice-Lucerne cutoff exit. When deputies arrived they located a man (Frederick’s father) dead at the scene from what looked to be stab wounds. Also at the scene was a woman (Frederick’s mother) suffering from cuts to her neck — she survived and was transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital.
Witnesses at the scene identified Fredericks as the suspect, informing deputies he had fled to a nearby patch of woods immediately after the incident. Fredericks emerged from the woods and surrendered.
In early 2019, Defense Attorney Mitch Hauptman declared a doubt to the defendant’s mental competency.
The Court had appointed Taylor Fithian and James House in 2019 to evaluate the mental competency of the defendant.
The Court had received Fithian’s report dated June 8, 2019, which pertained to the mental competency of the defendant. The Court had not received a report from House as he was no longer taking appointments in Lake County. Both counsels stipulated to one report (Fithian’s) and they waived the jury trial and submitted on the report. The report has the same force and effect as if the doctor testified.
The report was read, considered and received into evidence. There was no argument and the matter stood submitted. The Court found the defendant is presently incompetent to stand trial and unable to understand the criminal proceedings or assist counsel in a rational manner.
The matter had been referred to the forensic Conditional Release Program (CONREP). CONREP is the California Department of State Hospitals’ statewide system of community-based services for specified forensic patients. It was mandated as a state responsibility by the Governor’s Mental Health Initiative of 1984 and began operations on Jan. 1, 1986.
In October of 2019 Fredericks was not present for a review hearing as he had been transported to a state mental hospital.
During a hearing in 2019 the court had received, read and considered the mental report from the Department of State Hospitals.
The Court’s authorization for the treatment facility to involuntarily administer anti-psychotic medications as prescribed by the defendant’s treating psychiatrist remained.
The defendant, Steven Michael Fredericks, 53, remains in custody at the Hill Road Jail in Lakeport.
