It's been almost a year since ex-Olympian Michael Barisone's acquittal. Here's the latest

MORRISTOWN — A judge has denied defense attorneys' requests to bar the public and media from future hearings that include doctor testimony and mental health updates of their client Michael Barisone, an ex-Olympian who was acquitted of attempted murder and found not guilty by reason of insanity following a trial last year.

Chris Deininger, one of two attorneys who represented the elite equestrian athlete-turned-coach during his April 2022 trial, argued that any future disclosure of Barisone's mental health information was a violation of Barisone's rights under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a federal law that gives people rights over their health information. He noted Barisone's acquittal should bar any future disclosure of his client's medical history.

The arguments, heard in state Superior Court in Morristown on Wednesday, astounded Judge Stephen Taylor, who stated that defense attorneys had no objection when Barisone's psychiatric information was "broadcast to the entire United States and who knows where else, internationally."

"There was no objection to his detailed psychiatric history, child abuse issues, depression, being broadcast live," Taylor said in his denial, "so I am a little taken aback by your concern now."

Barisone’s status as a top-ranked dressage rider and later highly sought-after coach garnered a great deal of attention from multiple media outlets, including CBS who aired a "48 Hours" segment on the trial. The 11-day trial was also livestreamed by Law & Crime Network.

Barisone, 58, was accused of shooting his tenant Lauren Kanarek twice on his upscale farm in Long Valley in August 2019. He purportedly shot at her fianceé Robert Goodwin, but missed. A jury came to a rare conclusion that Barisone was not guilty of attempted murder by reason of insanity, finding that at the time of the crime, he was suffering a mental defect that he did not know what he had done was wrong.

Barisone's mental health was cast into the spotlight after a barrage of experts took the stand, including doctors who opined Barisone believed Kanarek and Goodwin were trying to kill him.

Doctors called by defense attorneys opined Barisone was battling delusional thoughts that altered his thinking, causing him to become paranoid and fearful for his life before the shooting. The mental disorder left him so severely detached from reality, doctors said, that they declared he was legally insane when he took his handgun from his safe, drove to his farmhouse and shot Kanarek twice.

Kanarek, who gave her own tearful testimony during the 11-day trial, was shot twice in the upper chest and was placed in a medically induced coma to repair severe damage to her left lung.

After Barisone's acquittal, he spent several months in Ann Klein Forensic Center in Trenton before he was sent to Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital in Morris Plains, where he remains. Defendants who are acquitted of any criminality are often sent to treatment and return to the courts periodically for updates, where a judge can determine if or when the individual can be released back into the community.

Post-trial, Barisone made a first appearance in September where the judge raised concerns he might not have been ready for release, but agreed to address his treatment status on Wednesday. Barisone and three doctors were expected to appear Wednesday, but the hearing has been moved to late April. Barisone, Taylor remarked Wednesday, was clean-shaven with a new haircut during his last appearance, which was a drastic change from his appearance at trial, where he appeared withdrawn and feeble.

Defense attorneys also sought to have Taylor recuse himself from any future hearings in the case, but that request was denied.

Kanarek was a newcomer in dressage and moved her horses to Barisone's upscale training facility in Long Valley in 2018. As part of the arrangement, Kanarek and her fiancé, Robert Goodwin, lived in a farmhouse on the property, but tensions between the couple and Barisone and his then-fianceé quickly turned toxic.

Barisone made several unsuccessful attempts to evict Kanarek and Goodwin and in the days before the shooting, called 911 several times, claiming the couple were squatters who were harassing him. Kanarek also made posts on social media that detailed her dispute with Barisone, which Barisone's attorney argued caused his client to become even more fearful for his life.

Barisone's support was buoyed by his status and expertise in the sport, which garnered him a spot as a reserve rider for Team USA at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. He later coached Olympians like Boyd Martin and Allison Brock, a rider who won bronze in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. Martin, a three-time Olympian, was among those athletes to testify in Barisone's favor, stating that the man with a "larger than life personality" had in the weeks leading up to the shooting become withdrawn and defeated.

A GoFundMe to help defray Barisone's legal fees, created by Barisone's girlfriend Lara Osborne, has amassed over $70,000 and contributions have yet to slow. Osborne, who spoke to the Daily Record after Barisone's acquittal, was quick to call out the "disarray" at Greystone during a post on the fundraising page on Monday, stating that the facility was lacking "care, treatment, responsibility and empathy" for their patients and Barisone was only meeting with a treatment team once a month.

Barisone is expected to appear in court in April, when three members of his treatment team at Greystone will testify to his treatment and mental health status. Defense attorneys say they will seek to "level up" Barisone's allowances at the facility which could give him opportunities to embark on "day trips."

Lori Comstock can be reached on Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH, on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/LoriComstockNJH or by phone: 973-383-1194.

This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Michael Barisone: Latest on ex-Olympian after murder acquittal