Dominelli Ruled Able to Stand Trial : Judge Finds Stroke Victim Has Improved, Sets Court Date

A federal court judge on Monday found jailed financier J. David (Jerry) Dominelli competent to stand trial on a 25-count federal grand jury indictment charging him with perjury and fraud in connection with the bankruptcy of his J. David & Co. investment firm.

U.S. District Judge William B. Enright, after reviewing psychiatric reports concluding that Dominelli has made “remarkable improvement” from the stroke he suffered last Oct. 2, set a trial date of April 2.

Enright’s ruling was made one year to the day after Dominelli’s first jail stay--10 hours in federal custody on Feb. 25, 1984, for not cooperating with the court-appointed J. David bankruptcy trustee.

It has been more than one year since the J. David & Co. empire of ventures was forced into bankruptcy by a group of disgruntled investors who were unable to withdraw their funds.

Federal authorities have determined the total amount of funds invested in J. David by nearly 1,000 people was about $100 million.

According to the evaluation by the court-appointed psychiatrist, Dr. Mark A. Kalish, the 43-year-old Dominelli has demonstrated “marked improvement in the fluency of his speech.” The other report, authored by Dr. Murray H. Rosenthal, concurred that Dominelli is competent to stand trial and assist in his own defense.

The competency evaluations, ordered by Enright last November, said Dominelli understands the charges against him and knows it is “most likely that he will be found guilty on at least some charges.”

Dominelli refused to answer questions by Kalish that dealt directly with the grand jury indictment “on the advice of counsel,” the report said.

The former financier receives speech therapy five times a week and often communicates with a hand-held, electronic communicator, which acts much like a miniature typewriter.

Dominelli also faces state perjury and conspiracy charges in connection with charges that he helped funnel tens of thousands of dollars into San Diego Mayor Roger Hedgecock’s 1983 election campaign. He will be arraigned on those charges on March 4.