Brian David Mitchell taken to hospital after suffering apparent seizure in court

SALT LAKE CITY — Brian David Mitchell, accused of kidnapping Elizabeth Smart, suffered an apparent seizure Tuesday just as court was starting and had to be rushed to the hospital.

Court was adjourned for the day. But Tuesday afternoon, Mitchell's defense team notified the court that they would be ready to resume at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Defense attorney Robert Steele told the Deseret News that Mitchell would be back in court Wednesday and everyone would be ready to proceed as normal. He said Mitchell was back in the Salt Lake County Jail Tuesday afternoon. Steele said he could not talk about how long Mitchell was at the hospital, what doctors said or when he was returned to jail.

He noted however, that from his own observations and from what medically trained people in the courtroom who helped Mitchell have said, "it was definitely a seizure."

Mitchell was believed to have been taken to University Hospital, but a spokeswoman at the hospital said she could neither confirm nor deny he was there. Mitchell was awake when he was being loaded into the ambulance.

Mitchell was sitting between two of his attorneys, Parker Douglas and Wendy Lewis, and singing Christmas songs when he suddenly stopped. His head slumped, appearing from behind as if he might be reading something in front of him. About one to two minutes later, Mitchell turned his head to the left and let out a loud crying moan as if he were in pain.

Lewis then said, "Judge, I think he's having a seizure."

Douglas and a U.S. marshal pushed chairs and the attorneys' table aside and laid Mitchell on the ground, while he was still in shackles.

Douglas later said he was reading over court documents when the apparent seizure occurred.

"The last thing I heard was his cry out," he said.

When he laid Mitchell on the ground, Douglas said Mitchell was shaking.

"It was terrifying," he said.

Steele said Mitchell went "rigid." Lewis was visibly shaken by the events.

Dr. Noel Gardner, who was in the courtroom as a possible expert witness, assisted the others with Mitchell. He did not cry out again once he was on the ground and appeared to have his hands clenched in fists.

An ambulance was called and Mitchell was taken away on a stretcher with an oxygen mask over his face. He seemed to be awake and alert when he was loaded into the ambulance.