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Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Trial has been rescheduled to April
Nicholas Gene Finch, 39, of Reardan, is facing multiple treating felony charges in Lincoln County Superior Court.
REARDAN - A local man accused of threatening to kill his family and attempting arson is seeking a mental health evaluation to determine his competency to stand trial.
Nicholas Gene Finch, 39, appeared in Lincoln County Superior Court on Tuesday, February 18, where attorneys indicated they would file a proposed order for a 10.77 assessment.
The evaluation, required under Washington law, determines whether a defendant is mentally competent to proceed with trial.
Finch's trial was originally set for March 19, with a readiness hearing scheduled for February 18. However, a new trial date was set for April 16, at 9 a.m. with a readiness hearing scheduled for March 25 at 10:30 a.m.
Finch previously pleaded not guilty to felony harassment with a threat to kill and attempted first-degree arson during his February 4 arraignment.
Court records state that he allegedly sent multiple threatening text messages, including one in which he said, "I'll kill this whole house full of people then burn it down-kids and all."
He remains in custody on a $20,000 bail and is subject to a domestic violence no-contact order.
During his transport to jail, Finch reportedly told the arresting deputy that he had not taken his medication for the past several days and stated, "You can't arrest me for murder because I haven't murdered anyone."
Olivia Harnack is the award-winning managing editor/photographer/videographer/columnist at the Lincoln County Record-Times, with offices in both Davenport and Odessa, Wash. She is a University of Idaho graduate and a U.S. Army National Guardsman.
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