A status hearing for Saad Masood, a former School of Engineering and Applied Science student who faces charges of terroristic threats, stalking, harassment and disorderly conduct, was held Tuesday to further evaluate the defendant’s mental health.
Masood, 30, was arrested on Jan. 20 at 33rd and Walnut streets, after Penn Police sent out an alert which stated that he “continues to contact professors … despite having been told by Special Services and [the Vice Provost for University Life] not to return to Penn.”
The defendant’s mental health is currently one of the key factors in the case, mental health coordinator at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office David Ayers said.
“When somebody has serious mental health issues like this, all parties need to get a handle on what’s happening,” Ayers said.
Masood is allowed to be out of custody as long as he complies with court orders regarding treatments and stay-aways involving his victims, who include SEAS faculty.
At the hearing, the presiding judge accepted documentation of Masood’s recent discharge from Mercy Philadelphia Hospital. The judge also ordered the defense to return to court on March 14 with additional documentation regarding his ongoing medical treatment.
It is still not entirely clear how Masood’s mental health will factor into the case.
“Sometimes it’s a mental health defense, insanity or some kind of affirmative defense that would suggest he didn’t act intentionally or knowingly in doing whatever he did,” said Law School professor David Rudovsky, who is unaffiliated with the case.
Ayers expects the defense to file a formal request to proceed along a mental health status tract.
If the defense files this request, Ayers and Kelley Hodge — the current prosecutor for the case who also works with mental issues at the DA’s office — will decide at the next hearing whether or not to proceed in this manner.
“It’s going to be a win for everybody,” Ayers said, “because if mental health issues are what contributed largely to the criminal behavior, the best course for non-recidivism is treatment.”
If treatments are included in the offer extended by the prosecution, which Ayers said is still a few hearings away, sentencing may be reduced.
“Our office will look at the particular facts of the case, look at this guy’s history, what he’s doing now and how compliant he appears to be in doing what the court is asking while he’s on bail,” Ayers said.
“We also need to consult the victims to make sure that whatever we would want to offer would be according to their wishes,” he added.
Masood was present at Tuesday’s hearing with public defender Brunilda Vargas.
“It’s just one step at a time, and sometimes, unfortunately, it takes a bit of time to work it through because mental health cases can be somewhat tricky,” Ayers said.
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