Stuart, in jeans and a sweatshirt, was brought into court in a wheelchair.
SPRINGFIELD — George W. Stuart, the retired Springfield police officer facing charges for an arson and standoff at his home in Ludlow, spent Monday at the Hall of Justice as his lawyer continued to try to get him out of jail and into a hospital.
George StuartAt the end of the day – much of which the 71-year-old Stuart spent in the courthouse lockup with periodic appearances in the courtroom – Hampden Superior Court Judge Peter A. Velis postponed a decision until Thursday.
Stuart, in jeans and a sweatshirt, was brought into court in a wheelchair. He appeared very thin, and his head was bowed down for much of the time as he rested his arms on the wheelchair sides.
His lawyer, Thomas J. Rooke, waived Stuart’s appearance in the courtroom Friday when a photographer for The Republican and Masslive.com was present.
Rooke indicated Monday he would waive Stuart’s presence any time cameras were in the courtroom.
Stuart is now held without right to bail at the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow, after being released from Baystate Medical Center on Aug. 16.
Rooke wants Stuart to be in a hospital.
He asked Velis to let jail employees take Stuart from court Monday directly to Wing Memorial Hospital to be examined by a doctor.
If the doctor admitted Stuart, bail would be set at $250,000 cash – which Stuart has already posted – and a GPS monitoring device would be put on him, Rooke said.
But Rooke said he could not guarantee Stuart would be admitted.
Velis asked if there was any way there could be an assurance Stuart would be admitted before he was taken to the hospital for an examination and Rooke said no.
Under Rooke’s proposal, the court would order Stuart not to leave the hospital, and if he left, he would be brought to court, where his bail could be revoked.
Assistant District Attorney James M. Forsyth told Velis if Stuart were taken to Wing for an examination, that procedure would have to be done while Stuart was still held without right to bail.
Rooke said Stuart had posted the bail from his life savings.
Hampden District Attorney Mark G. Mastroianni and Forsyth contend Stuart’s release into the community would present a public safety threat.
Stuart is recovering from a self-inflicted gunshot to the stomach following a 7 ½-hour standoff with police in Ludlow on July 18.
Stuart, who was apparently distraught over a pending divorce, has denied charges of arson and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling.
