Man charged in acid attack hate crime on Latino man ordered for mental evaluation

MILWAUKEE – A competency evaluation was ordered Friday for the man charged in a hate crime acid attack in Milwaukee.

Clifton Blackwell appeared in court for what was scheduled to be a preliminary examination, but his attorney had questions about his ability to aide in his own defense.

Court Commissioner Barry Phillips ordered a competency evaluation and set a date for the return of the doctor's report to Circuit Judge Glenn Yamahiro.

Assistant Public Defender Paige Styler also told Phillips that at the time of Blackwell's arrest at his southside Milwaukee apartment, police recovered "his life savings" in cash, which they are holding for safekeeping, and that it was enough to possibly prevent Blackwell from qualifying for a public defender.

Eligibility for public defender representation turns on several factors, including income, family status, other assets and the nature of the charges, said Thomas Reed, regional attorney manager for the State Public Defender. He said he did not know how much money police took from Blackwell's apartment.

Second-degree burns: Man, 61, accused of throwing acid on Latino man's face in possible hate crime

But because he doesn't currently have access to the money, the public defender will continue representing him until a separate return of property hearing, also before Yamahiro, on Nov. 25. Styler did not indicate how much money the police were holding for Blackwell.

Blackwell is charged with first-degree reckless injury with a dangerous weapon, as a hate crime. The complaint says he threw acid at Mahud Villalaz after he objected to Blackwell making anti-immigrant remarks to Villalaz, a U.S. citizen who was born in Peru.

Follow Bruce Vielmetti on Twitter: @ProofHearsay.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee acid attack suspect ordered for mental evaluation