St. Ansgar man accused of sexual abuse ruled to be competent to stand trial

OSAGE — A St. Ansgar man accused of sexual abuse has been declared competent to stand trial.

34-year-old Zachery Orlovsky was charged with second-degree sexual abuse after he allegedly forcibly assaulted a woman at his home on October 14th 2023.

Orlovsky was tried on the charge back in July, but after the trial started, his attorney made a motion to request a competency evaluation due to his choice to take extra prescription medication, stating that he had approval of his treating practitioner to do so, but his attorney felt he struggled to assist counsel. The court found there was probable cause that Orlovsky was suffering a mental disorder and suspended proceedings pending the completion of a competency evaluation.

Both prosecutors and the defense hired mental health professionals to do an evaluation, with each offering differing opinions. District Judge Blake Norman this week ruled that Orlovsky was competent to stand trial, leaning on the opinion of the prosecution’s mental health expert which found that Orlovsky’s heightened symptoms are directly related to an attempt to avoid the consequences associated with the court case and trial, as the symptoms only appeared when discussing the criminal case and not his daily life.

Orlovsky’s trial is scheduled to start on November 5th.