Lawyer: Doctor says Arizona mom accused of child abuse is incompetent to stand trial

FLORENCE, Ariz. (AP) - A lawyer for a Maricopa woman accused of abusing five of her seven adopted children says her competency to stand trial is in question.

Machelle Hobson's attorney told a Pinal County Superior Court judge at Wednesday's status hearing that a doctor has concluded after a psychological evaluation that she isn't competent.

The Casa Grande Dispatch reports a second doctor is scheduled to evaluate Hobson.

The case is essentially on hold until the competency issue is decided.

The 47-year-old Hobson was arrested in March.

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.