The trial of Stephen P. Morgan, who is accused of shooting and killing Johanna Justin-Jinich ’10 in May of 2009, has been put on hold, awaiting the results of a psychiatric exam requested by state prosecutor Tony Liston.

According to court records, the defense filed a “Notice of Defense of Mental Disease or Defect” on April 29, 2010, which states the defense’s intention to plead insanity and present psychiatrists as expert witnesses. On May 25, the prosecution requested its own psychiatric exam of Morgan, which was granted by Judge Patrick Clifford.

The Morgan case is currently in its pretrial phase, during which both sides exchange information and decide on the issues to be tried. According to an employee from the Middletown Superior Court’s clerk office who is familiar with the case, the pretrial periods of similar cases typically run about two years. Morgan was arrested a day after the shooting on May 7, 2009, and is being held on $15 million bail.

The judge delayed the trial to Feb. 1, the next date that the prosecutor and defense will meet in court.