WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) -
The man charged with assaulting two Marathon County corrections officers inside the jail claims he is insane. 20-year-old Fredrick Morris was arraigned Monday, and he also entered a not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect plea to the court.
Assistant District Attorney Lance Leonhard says that plea didn’t surprise him. “We expected to go forward with the arraignment, and a consideration that someone might enter that sort of plea is always on our minds and we certainly wouldn’t say we were surprised by the plea today.”
The court will now appoint a doctor to assess Morris’ mental state. That appointment will happen very soon.
A pretrial hearing has already been scheduled for June 7th at 11:30. Morris remains in custody at the Lincoln County Jail unable to post a quarter of a million dollar cash bond. Morris is charged with one count of aggravated battery with intent to harm and two counts of battery by a prisoner. Corrections officer Julie Christensen is still hospitalized.