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(KSL News) -- The competency hearings for Elizabeth Smart's kidnapping suspect Brian David Mitchell will be open to the public. A judge made that ruling this morning, ending a months-long legal fight.
Mitchell's attorneys argued that opening the hearings infringes on Mitchell's right to a fair trial. The judge sided with media lawyers fighting for the public's right to know.
Mitchell's competency hearings are scheduled to begin August 31st.
His wife, Wanda Barzee, was deemed incompetent to stand trial in January. She's undergoing treatment at the state mental hospital.
