Judge Orders Psychiatric Exam for Meghan Markle’s Father Before Trial
A Tampa federal magistrate has appointed a forensic psychiatrist to determine if Thomas Markle is competent to stand trial on child sexual abuse material charges.
By Anthony Lawson ·
A federal judge in Florida has ordered a psychiatric evaluation of Thomas Markle to determine whether the 82-year-old father of Meghan Markle is mentally fit to stand trial.
US Magistrate Judge Lindsay Griffin issued the two-page order on Friday. She cited concerns raised during Markle’s initial court appearance, specifically noting his "lack of recall." Griffin stated she had "reasonable cause to believe" Markle may suffer from a mental disease or defect that renders him incompetent to understand the proceedings or assist in his defense. The judge based this finding on unspecified health information, Markle’s advanced age, and his memory issues.
Markle faces a single federal count for possessing child sexual abuse material. He was arrested last Friday on that charge. Federal agents seized the material from storage units he rented in Los Angeles since 2008. The seized items included slides, film negatives, and books. Among the images were two explicit photographs of Markle posed with a naked underage girl, along with other pictures of him with children in various stages of undress. One photograph depicted a naked girl in a room that appears to be part of a motel chain in the Philippines, a country where Markle previously resided.
FBI Director Kash Patel commented on the case on Friday. He said Markle "targeted innocent children and sought to steal their innocence through his criminal actions." Markle was most recently living in Lakeland, Florida, where he was a patient in a nursing home. His appointed attorney, federal public defender Mary Claire Wolf, did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the order.
Judge Griffin appointed Dr. Amie Gerodimos, a forensic psychiatrist, to conduct an independent exam of Markle. Gerodimos must provide a diagnosis of Markle’s condition and render a finding on his mental fitness to stand trial. The judge set a deadline of November 20 for the report to be filed with the court.
Markle was released from custody on personal recognisance after the Friday hearing. He is required to submit to home detention and electronic monitoring. No plea was entered during the hearing.
