A man accused of stalking his ex-girlfriend will be examined by a state expert for a psychiatric analysis of his mental stability.

Daniel Jason, 28, has been accused of contacting his ex-girlfriend on June 8, 2012, despite her no-contact order, according to an Iowa City police complaint.

On June 3, the defendant requested a motion for a mental-health evaluation, which was granted by the district court. The psychiatric assessment had been scheduled for June 17, for an evaluation for mental stability.

Jason chose to represent himself for a variety of reasons on July 23, 2012, according to court documents. Mark Mills, who conducted a psychiatric examination of Jason, said he is competent to stand trial but not to represent himself.

Mill’s stated in a court document, “I would hope then that the trial court would continue Mr. Jason’s legal representation, with Doug Davis or a colleague.” Davis is the referred attorney representing Jason.

There have been numerous filings made by the defendant throughout this case about his inappropriate conduct both in court and in filings. Judge Paul Miller questioned his maturity level and judgment necessary to effectively represent himself in court.

On July 25, 2013, a report detailed that Jason had been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome and documents stated the syndrome affects Jason’s ability to interact with people in a reasonable way.

As of Oct. 18, the state would not release Iowa Medical & Classification Center records so any expert designated by the state could review Jason’s evaluation. The defendant refused to sign a consent form of the release.

At a hearing on Thursday, Miller ruled that the state to present a preferred expert to evaluate his mental stability against the defense Asperger’s syndrome made him react in an inappropriate way.

— by Abigail Meier