Kaczynski Shows Signs of Anger in Court

Unabomber suspect Theodore Kaczynski appeared to throw a temper tantrum Tuesday as he listened to his attorneys argue that he is mentally defective and too paranoid to be examined by government psychiatrists.

Kaczynski scribbled furiously on sheets of paper from a yellow legal pad as Gary Sowards, one of his attorneys, argued for almost an hour that the former math professor is mentally ill and has a morbid fear of psychiatrists.

The defendant shook his head continually as he wrote and whispered animatedly to defense attorney Judy Clarke. Finally, in apparent frustration, Kaczynski shoved a note under Clarke’s nose and threw his pen across the table.

The pen skidded across the table and landed on the courtroom floor. Kaczynski grabbed a pen from Clarke and continued writing.

At previous hearings on the subject of his mental health, Kaczynski chose not to be in court. But Tuesday’s hearing, in the middle of jury selection, was unscheduled and Kaczynski was forced to listen.

Earlier, prosecutor Robert Cleary told U.S. District Judge Garland Burrell Jr. that Kaczynski had again refused to be examined by government psychiatrists.

Attorneys from both sides were ordered by Burrell on Friday to find a compromise to the vexing problem of giving government experts equal access to Kaczynski.

Kaczynski’s defense team contends he is suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and is unable to form the intent to kill. The prosecution, denied access to Kaczynski so far, has asked the judge to bar his lawyers from introducing the “diminished capacity” defense.

Burrell told attorneys on Tuesday he is leaning toward “a lesser sanction” than barring the testimony of defense psychiatrists who have examined Kaczynski. But the judge stopped short of making a ruling.

In recent court papers prosecutors disclosed that among the writings found in Kaczynski’s tiny plywood cabin in a remote section of Montana was a diary in which he wrote, “I intend to start killing people,” and went on to say that if he was caught the media and other “conformist types” would depict him as “sick.”

Kaczynski is charged in the deaths of two Sacramento men and the wounding of two Bay Area academics. He has pleaded not guilty.