HOUSTON – Disgraced financier Allen Stanford claims that pre scri ption drugs have left him impaired and unable to assist lawyers in preparing for his criminal trial.
In a motion seek bond, Stanford alleges that he is taking so many pre scri ption drugs in prison that he’s impaired and cannot effectively assist layers with preparing for the trial.
Stanford, former chairman of Stanford Financial Group, alleges in an Opposed Motion for Bond he filed on December 6 that his “mental, emotional, and physical health are drastically deteriorating.”
He alleges that prior to his detention that began in June 2009, he did not take pre scri ption medication, but he is currently prescribed a “variety” of medications due to his incarceration that have him in an “unfocused and numbed state-of-mind.”
Stanford listed the medications in a sealed document.
“Mr. Stanford’s impaired mental condition, noted in the sealed addendum, along with the physical impairments now well documented and known to the Court have created a condition where the Accused can no longer assist Counsel or invoke constitutional rights,” Stanford alleges.
He alleges he suffers from tremors of the limbs, diminished range of facial expression, slowness of speech, and drowsiness and fatigue, which he notes are the side effects cited in a 1992 U.S. Supreme Court case.
Stanford alleges he was assaulted by an inmate in September 2009, and since then he has frequent headaches, has permanently lost the ability to read with his right eye and permanently lost all feeling on the right side of his face.
Stanford also seeks bond from Senior U.S. District Judge David Hittner of the Southern District of Texas on the ground that his ability to review documents and thereby assist his attorneys is hampered by his pre-trial incarceration and prohibition against using the Internet to read documents in the discovery database.
Stanford is currently in federal custody awaiting trial on criminal charges in connection with an alleged conspiracy to defraud investors who bought about US$7 billion in certificates of deposit sold through the Antigua-based Stanford International Bank Ltd.
He has pleaded not guilty and goes to trial in January 2011. (CMC)