Psychiatrist will Evaluate Former Agriprocessors Manager in Jail
By Trish Mehaffey • KCRGCEDAR RAPIDS - A federal judge will allow convicted former Agriprocessors vice president to be evaluated by a Maryland psychiatrist in the Linn County Jail on Thursday.
U.S. District Chief Judge Linda Reade signed the order today to determine whether there are any psychological matters that could be an issue at sentencing for Sholom Rubashkin.
Rubashkin, 51, of Postville, was convicted by a jury in November on 86 counts of bank fraud and other charges. A sentencing date hasn’t been set. The charges stem from the May 2008 immigration raid at the former Postville meatpacking plant where more than 389 illegal workers were arrested and charged.
Defense attorneys filed the motion for the evaluation, asking the court to allow the evaluation to determine if any mental conditions exist that might mitigate Rubashkin’s punishment. Rubashkin faces hundreds of years in prison.
Dr. Susan Fiester, a forensic psychiatrist from Silver Springs, Md., will examine Rubashkin.