1 06-15-88 01:22 aed utah Alleged Mormon Temple hostage taker wants dead prophets to test

   1  06-15-88 01:22 aed utah Alleged Mormon Temple hostage taker
wants dead prophets to testify

   ROCKVILLE, Md. (UPI) _ A man accused of  seizing  hostages  at
the  Mormon  Temple  in 1986 is mentally competent to stand trial
even though he wants numerous  dead  prophets  of  the   cult  to
testify in his defense, a Montgomery County judge has ruled.

   Circuit Judge Peter Messitte, whose ruling Tuesday on Clarence
Leake's  competency  cleared  the way for jury selection to begin
immediately, said, "Let us be clear on this matter,  there  is  a
mental disorder.

   "(But)  does  that  render  the defendant incompetent to stand
trial?  It  is  clear  to  the  court  that  the  defendant  does
understand what is going on."

   Leake,  30,  of  Harrisonburg,  is  charged with two counts of
kidnapping and two counts of assault and possession of a handgun.
He has pleaded innocent by reason of insanity.

   He was arrested without incident Oct. 23, 1986, after two  men
were  held hostage overnight in the majestic temple in Kensington
that towers over the Capital Beltway in suburban Washington, D.C.

   Dr.  Neal Blumberg  testified  Monday  that  Leake  has  shown
"unusual signs of mental delusional disorder," which would hinder
his efforts  to  assist  in his own defense.  Blumberg said Leake
believes he has "conversations with God."

   Leake's father,  Donald  Leake,  also  of  Harrisonburg,  said
Tuesday  outside  the  courtroom  that  the  Mormon  Church  is a
"satanic cult."

   "I've seen the change in him right after he  was  baptized  in
the  Mormon  Church  (10  years  ago)," his father said. "He says
there are spirits in the temple.  After he  was  baptized  that's
when he said he began to hear voices."

   The  defendant  had  his defense subpeona 14 witnesses, all of
whom are dead prophets of the Mormon  Church.

   In response to the subpeona, Messitte  said,  "When  one  gets
into  the  realm  of  religious  belief, especially in court, one
treads very carefully."

   "There is to some, perhaps, an element of fantasy," the  judge
went  on  to say. "I came to the conculsion that the defendant is
competent."

   Messitte then read four  passages  of  Mormon  scripture  that
dealt  with  the Mormon belief of dead spirits coming back, which
the judge used to illustrate the reason for his decision.

   One of Leake's attorneys, Carol Freeman,  said,  "Mr.    Leake
does feel  very  strongly  that these witnesses will appear.  All
the doctors that have examined Mr.  Leake have determined that he
is suffering from a delusional disorder."

   Prosecutors allege that Leake became angry before the  hostage
incident when he tried to enter the temple, but was told his pass
had been revoked by cult authorities.

	Leake has been free on $50,000 bond.