Judge: Maricopa woman accused of abusing adopted children incompetent for trial, but restorable
Machelle Hobson
FLORENCE, Ariz. - A judge has declared a Maricopa woman accused of abusing five of her seven adopted children while running a lucrative YouTube channel incompetent to stand trial but restorable.
Arizona prosecutors have a 15-month window to restore Machelle Hobson to competency.
The Maricopa Monitor reported Wednesday that attorneys for both sides will present a recommendation within a week to Pinal County Superior Court Judge Delia Neal for a restoration specialist.
The 47-year-old Hobson was arrested in March and is facing 30 counts of abuse.
She has pleaded not guilty to charges she abused some of the adopted children by pepper-spraying them, striking them with a clothes hanger and making them take ice baths.
Hobson allegedly pulled her children out of school to perform full-time in adventure videos on her YouTube channel.