NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Two months after a stray bullet killed Belmont University student Jillian Ludwig , a new law is in the works that could save lives.
Ludwig’s alleged killer was out of jail when she was shot because of an apparent loophole in mental health laws. He had been ruled mentally incompetent to stand trial for another shooting but also not in bad enough condition to be committed to a mental health facility, so he was set free.
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Now, Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk is working with Republican lawmakers to make sure that does not happen again. Funk and the Republican legislature have been at odds for years, but after Ludwig’s death, there appears to be bipartisan agreement on changes to Tennessee’s mental health laws. One deals with people ruled not competent to stand trial.
“Competency is, ‘I don’t understand the criminal justice process,’” said Funk.” A lot of these folks are folks that have had a cognitive delay since birth; some of them have had a traumatic brain injury.”