Fake head shrinker to have head examined pending sentencing.

A followup to an odd story from over a year ago:

Fake Head Shrinker Sued for Leaving Mind Unshrunken, and Endangering a Life.

We recently received word that ex-ghost hunter Susan Crites was not only sued, but was charged with crimes, was been found guilty, and was set to be sentenced. But this has been put on hold pending a court order to have the fake head shrinker's head examined.

Here is the news story originally posted December 18th, 2007

The sentencing of Susan R. Crites, the former head of the now defunct Hedgesville-based West Virginia Society of Ghost Hunters, was postponed Monday after a judge ordered her to undergo a 60-day psychological evaluation.

Crites, 57, was convicted on three misdemeanor counts of practicing medicine without a license and five counts of practicing counseling without a license in September following a jury trial in Berkeley County Circuit Court. A separate but related charge of delivery of a controlled substance was later dismissed by the state.

Crites had originally been scheduled to be sentenced last Monday but it was continued because Crites’ then-attorney, Heidi Myers, was unable to attend because of a medical emergency.

The court’s order to have Crites undergo a 60-day psychological evaluation came as a surprise to both the prosecution and the defense, which was only made of aware of the evaluation order by Berkeley County Circuit Court Judge Gray Silver III on Monday morning.

“Note my objection on behalf of Miss Crites,” Myers told Silver.

Silver also granted a motion recently filed by Myers requesting she be allowed to withdraw from the case and a new lawyer be appointed to represent the local ghost hunter and published author. Myers filed the motion at the behest of Crites who recently decided to seek new representation.

“My services have been terminated,” Myers said.

Berkeley County Prosecutor Pamela Games-Neely argued that the evaluation and the appointment of a new attorney for Crites would only delay sentencing, further inconveniencing the victims in the case, but Silver supported an objection by Myers, who argued that Crites would need an attorney to be able to present arguments to the court during the sentencing phase.

“Miss Crites is requesting new counsel. I am concerned that the right to counsel is a constitutional right and sentencing is still a critical stage,” said Silver, adding appointing a new attorney for Crites would not delay sentencing since the court intended to order the 60-day evaluation anyway, something Silver said would aid the court in its sentencing.

Crites will now be represented by the Berkeley County Public Defenders’ Office. The earliest Crites might be forced to undergo the evaluation is three weeks. In the meantime, Silver told Crites her newly appointed attorney could present arguments to the court against the evaluation order if she wished.

After granting Myers’ motion to withdraw, Silver was later presented with a motion by Crites she said a friend helped her draft to continue sentencing. She was stopped by Silver, who indicated Crites should wait until her new attorney was appointed before attempting to present an argument before the court.

“We don’t want you putting yourself in a position where you say something that could possibly hurt your case,” Silver said.

No new sentencing date was scheduled Monday. For each of the three misdemeanor counts of practicing medicine without a license, Crites could face fines of as much as $10,000, imprisonment terms as long as 12 months, or both. For the five counts of offering counseling without a license, Crites stands to face fines as much as $500, imprisonment as long as six months, or both.

Actually the West Virgina Society of Ghost Hunters continues under new leadership, it seems. And to their credit they have a full webpage going over all of the gory details of the scandal.