HONOLULU (AP) - The Latest on an attempt to close a hearing for a man accused of inflight behavior that prompted fighter jets to escort the airplane (all times local):
2:50 p.m.
A federal judge in Hawaii has found a man mentally competent to stand trial on allegations that his inflight behavior prompted bomb-threat procedures and fighter jets to escort the airplane.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kenneth Mansfield on Thursday also ordered that Anil Uskanli be detained without bail.
Uskanli’s attorney had requested a closed hearing to protect his client’s private mental health information. Mansfield earlier this week granted the request, but The Associated Press, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and other media objected.
Defense attorney Richard Sing then withdrew his motion, allowing the hearing to proceed without closing it to the public.
Mansfield says there’s evidence that Uskanli is dangerous. Mansfield says Uskanli threatened to kill an FBI agent after the American Airlines flight landed in Honolulu, threatened to kill a psychologist and threatened to burn down a Los Angeles detention center.
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Midnight
A federal judge in Honolulu is scheduled to hear arguments on whether to close a hearing for a man accused of inflight behavior that prompted fighter jets to escort the airplane.
Anil Uskanli’s attorney wants a hearing over his mental competency and detention to be closed to the public. Defense attorney Richard Sing says it’s to protect his client’s private mental health information.
The Associated Press, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and other media outlets object to closing the proceeding.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kenneth Mansfield initially granted closing the hearing but after the media objected, he said the press has a right to be heard.
Mansfield says Thursday’s hearing will explore whether to completely close the proceeding or make arrangements that balance public rights to court access and Uskanli’s privacy.
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