Trial of Alexander Youshock Inches Closer to Starting Line

Opening arguments in the trial of Alexander Youshock, the teenager charged with plotting a massacre at , should be starting later this month in a Redwood City courthouse.

But first, attorneys on both sides will meet before Superior Court Judge Stephen Hall on Friday, Feb. 18 to receive a status update on the young man’s sanity as determined by two court-appointed doctors who evaluated him. Those doctors’ reports are still not in – and the trial cannot start until they are.

“We are in a complete holding pattern,” said Assistant District Attorney Karen Guidotti, the lead prosecutor in the case. A jury can’t be picked, she said, “until we know what the doctors say.”

The court is asking that those doctors have their reports in by Thursday, Feb. 17, Guidotti said, and if they're in on time, “Hopefully we’ll then be given a trial.”

Police say Youshock walked onto the San Mateo school's campus on Aug. 24, 2009 armed with a sword, chain saw and 10 pipe bombs with the intention of causing mayhem. The attempt was botched, however, and after setting off two of the bombs inside a hallway of the school shortly after 8 a.m. Youshock was tackled by a teacher. There were no injuries.

Though Youshock was only 17 at the time, and a recent graduate of the school, the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office decided soon after to charge him as an adult. He was charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of exploding a destructive device with intent to kill, one count of possession of a destructive device in a public place, use of explosives in an act of terrorism, and two counts of possession of a deadly weapon.

What followed was several months of court proceedings to determine Youshock’s competency to stand trial. Though a grand jury ruled him competent, in mid-December his attorney, Jonathan McDougall, added the plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.

As recently as last week it remained up in the air whether the court would allow statements he made to police regarding his intent to kill people at the school. Judge Hall on Feb. 3 decided to allow the statements. Youshock has been in custody without bail since the morning of his arrest.

Guidotti acknowledged that it would affect the trial if both doctors determine Youshock was not sane at the time of his actions. “We’ll address that if we get to that point,” she said.