Jason Eaton, accused of shooting three Palestinian students in Burlington last year, has been deemed competent to stand trial

Jason Eaton, the man accused shooting and wounding Nearly a year ago, three Palestinians and Palestinian American men were deemed competent to stand trial in Burlington, according to the judge presiding over the case.

The findings of Eaton’s psychological evaluation were discussed at a status hearing Tuesday in Chittenden County Superior Court. During the hearing, Judge John Pacht also decided to extend the duration of the case.

In August, the court set a deadline of December 16 for the submission of statements. But Eaton’s attorney, Peggy Jansch of the Chittenden County Public Defender’s Office, said at Tuesday’s hearing there was “no way” he could complete his statements in that time frame.

Jansch asked the judge to extend the deadline until next June. “This is a recognition of what we can do,” Jansch said.

However, the prosecutor did not agree with this opinion. Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George requested a “significantly shorter” extension, requesting that Pacht set a deadline of the end of March instead.

“I think the end of June is a significant delay, there’s no real reason why it’s taking this long,” George said. “If we do it by June, we’re not looking at a hearing until the end of next year.”

George said the state had 30 witnesses lined up to testify at the hearing and his office provided two depositions.

Pacht gave until May 31 to take statements and continue interviewing witnesses. A status conference has been scheduled for early March to determine how the matter proceeds.

“That should be plenty of time to really get things done,” Pacht said.

EatonThe 49-year-old Palestinian is accused of shooting and wounding three Palestinian-American men: Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Tahseen Aliahmad, who was 20 at the time of the shooting.

The three attended high school together on the West Bank and were attending different colleges in the United States at the time of the attack. They were visiting family in Burlington for Thanksgiving.

They were walking down North Prospect Street on the evening of Nov. 25, speaking a mix of Arabic and English and wearing keffiyehs, a traditional scarf that is a symbol of Palestinian identity, authorities said. Eaton allegedly approached them from a nearby porch and shot all three, authorities said.

Eaton at his trial did not admit his guilt for three counts of attempted murder. He is in St. Petersburg without bail. He is being held at the Northwest State Penitentiary in St. Albans. arrest shortly after being shot.

Despite calls to prosecute the act as a hate crime, state prosecutor George previously said his team did not have enough evidence to add that charge.

Eaton last appeared in court in August, requesting a special hearing. fire the public defenders who represent him. He also asked that he be able to present his case regarding the dismissal of his lawyers to the prosecutor’s office, in order to explain the reasons, in a special hearing closed to the public and the press.

Both requests were denied by Superior Court Judge Kevin Griffin at an Aug. 2 hearing.