Charles Kitch

by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — Earlier this month, Sumner County District Court ordered the transportation of Charles Lee Kitch, Jr., 33, of Wellington to Larned State Security Hospital for further evaluations on whether or not he is competent to stand trial for an attack of a prominent local attorney.

Kitch is accused of attacking Wellington Attorney Jack Potucek on Feb. 23, 2014. He is facing charges of aggravated battery, a level 5 felony or the alternative charge of criminal trespass, a Class B misdemeanor. He is also charged with aggravated battery, a level 7 felony.

This will be the second competency trial on Kitch.

Earlier on April 21, 2014, Brenda Brown, Clinical Director of Cowley County Mental Health and Counseling Center, delivered a sealed report to the court, stating that Kitch is competent to stand trial. 

But in a court order signed by a judge of Sumner District Court ruled, that “notwithstanding such report the parties still have reservations about whether defendant is competent to stand trial… that since the defendant has a history of mental illness it would be appropriate for such an evaluation to be done at Larned State Security Hospital.”

According to the Sumner County District Court complaint, Kitch is accused of unlawfully entering Potucek’s residence at 1023 N. Washington in Wellington which included an enclosed screened-in back porch. He entered the enclosed area and rang the doorbell to the rest of the residence. The complaint said  he “laid to wait to attack Potucek as he opened the door.”

Kitch is then accused of physically attacking Potucek from a hiding position and during the attack, repeatedly striking his head with a rock causing extensive bleeding.

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