Passenger may be well enough for court appearance

A 35-year-old Oregon woman who suffered a psychotic episode during a flight to Denver earlier this month may be well enough for her first court appearance after spending almost two weeks at a mental health hospital, her attorney says.

A letter sent by the University of Utah's Neuropsychiatric Institute states Bogdana Atanasova Georgieva could be released from their care as early as Friday, a defense attorney told U.S. District Magistrate Judge David Nuffer during a hearing Tuesday.

However, Nuffer said there is a pending warrant for Georgieva's arrest and an order that she be remanded into federal custody upon her release from the hospital.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Kennedy said he plans to ask for court evaluations to determine if the 35-year-old Bulgarian native is mentally competent to stand trial and what her state of mind was during the incident on Jan. 11.

According to the FBI and U.S. Secret Service, Georgieva was on a flight from Eugene, Ore., to Denver when she began acting out, making irrational statements and trying to take off her blouse. Passengers and crew reported her quickly gulping down hot coffee and assaulting a passenger and a flight attendant. In an attempt to subdue her as she tried to access the plane's cockpit, agents say Georgieva assaulted a flight attendant, ripping out an earring and pulling out a clump of her hair. She also struggled with FBI agents when the plane made an emergency landing in Salt Lake City.

While the government wanted a mental assessment, Kennedy expressed concern that the federal system might want to transport her out of state for her evaluation, which could potentially trigger another psychotic episode.

Nuffer agreed that the court should take precautions to make sure Georgieva is stable and scheduled a hearing for Thursday to further discuss options.

Officials are not sure what triggered the episode. Georgieva, who holds a doctorate in mathematics, taught two years at Pacific University.

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E-mail: gfattah@desnews.com