A Sequim man charged with attempting to kill his neighbor in a manufactured home park more than two years ago will face a two-week trial starting in November.
The previous March 25 trial start date for 68-year-old James Luoma was recently continued by judge Brent Basden to now start Nov. 12 in Clallam County Superior Court.
Luoma, who faces first degree attempted murder and first degree burglary charges, agreed to the court date at his May 10 court appearance.
A pre-trial hearing is set for 9 a.m. Friday, Oct. 17.
Sequim Police arrested Luoma on April 27, 2022 on the 700 block of West Heritage Loop after he allegedly shot at and attacked his then- 49-year-old neighbor.
Sequim Police report that Luoma sought a romantic relationship with her and she didn’t reciprocate. The neighbor sought a protection order but was unable to obtain one as she didn’t know his birthday, police report.
The same day, Luoma walked to his neighbor’s home, fired a gun at her and missed, court documents state.
The neighbor then ran to her neighbor’s garage where Luoma confronted her again and hit her head into a fridge and the floor, police report.
Luoma’s thumb was shot off during the struggle, according to court documents.
His defense attorney Karen Unger sought a follow-up medical examination in March of this year after Dr. Claire Ashbaugh with Alpine Haven Psychology Services conducted a forensic evaluation in January and saw “there were concerns for cognitive decline” in Luoma.
Ashbaugh recommended a repeat evaluation of his neuropsychological evaluation from November 2022 to see if there was a neurodegenerative condition affecting the frontal lobes, according to court documents.
Unger said on May 10 that there was a delay waiting for the second evaluation and after it was conducted that “they just need to set a trial” start date.
Basden asked if deputy prosecuting attorney Steven Johnson needed to get experts of his own on Luoma’s mental capacity, but Unger said she does not anticipate using any expert testimony during the trial. She did not elaborate on the results of the follow-up evaluation and results were not made public.
In March, Basden asked why Ashbaugh asked for more information on Luoma as he’s been in jail for almost two years, and that “most people experience diminished capacity over time.”
Unger said she wanted to know if Luoma was experiencing a decline in mental state due to his relationship with his neighbor and if he couldn’t regulate his control, and whether or not a mental health condition would support a finding of diminished capacity or insanity during the offenses.
