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Competency exam requested in abortion clinic plot

By: Associated Press//June 22, 2011//

Competency exam requested in abortion clinic plot

By: Associated Press//June 22, 2011//

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The attorney for a Marshfield man accused of planning an abortion clinic shooting is raising questions about the defendant’s mental competency.

Ralph W. Lang
Ralph W. Lang

Federal defender Erika Bierma told Magistrate Stephen Crocker on Tuesday that she will file a motion for a competency exam for 63-year-old Ralph Lang.

Police investigated a report of a gunshot at a Madison motel May 25. Lang had rented a room at the motel and told investigators his gun accidentally discharged while he was loading it. A complaint says that when asked why he had a gun, Lang told police he planned to shoot abortion providers.

Authorities say Lang planned to shoot a doctor and nurses at a nearby Planned Parenthood clinic the following day. The Stevens Point Journal says Lang has also been charged in Dane County Circuit Court with attempted first-degree intentional homicide.

Information from: Stevens Point Journal, http://www.stevenspointjournal.com

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