Shawn Johnson's Stalker Remanded to Mental Hospital

In Florida, a man who was accused of stalking Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson in 2009 has been ordered to stay in a state mental hospital for five years.  Last month, 36 year old Robert O'Ryan pled not guilty by reason of insanity to felony charges of stalking, burglary and carrying a loaded firearm.

The judge presiding over his case found that he was insane, but sent him for a final evaluation to Los Angeles County Mental Health authorities.  After the evaluation, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor ordered O'Ryan's sentence. He said that he believes O'Ryan was legally insane when he carried out his crimes and that he "had not fully regained sanity".

March of last year, O'Ryan was arrested after he tried to scale a fence at television studios in Los Angeles where Shawn Johnson was filming "Dancing with the Stars".  Police found that he had a loaded handgun, shotgun and duct tape in his car.  During his initial hearing, O'Ryan told a judge that he and Johnson were destined to be together.  

He also told police that, "voices in his head had convinced him that it was a good idea to come out to Los Angeles to protect" Johnson, who was "in love with him."

Being charged with any type of felony offense is a serious matter that demands appropriate defense.  If you have been charged with a felony, contact Schwartz & Naderi to discuss your case with a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer.