Plotts asks to plead guilty in hospital shootings

A man accused of killing his caseworker and shooting his psychiatrist at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital last summer interrupted his attorney during a routine scheduling hearing Tuesday to tell the judge he wanted to plead guilty.

But the attorney for Richard Plotts said it was unlikely he will enter a guilty plea for his client in coming weeks - if at all.

"This case all is about mental illness," Chuck Williams said. "The act alleged occurred in my client's psychiatrist's office."

Williams said he was working to collect 20 years of Plotts' medical records and complete a psychiatric evaluation.

Plotts, of Upper Darby, has a history of mental illness. He is charged with killing caseworker Theresa Hunt and shooting psychiatrist Lee Silverman during an appointment at a wellness center on the hospital campus on the border of Yeadon and Darby Borough in July.

Police said Silverman pulled out his own gun and exchanged fire with Plotts, who was hospitalized for several days after the shootings.

"Excuse me," Plotts said Tuesday, appearing via video feed in a Delaware County courtroom. "Actually, I want to plead guilty to the charges, and I have a right to do so."

Plotts, 49, acknowledged that his attorney had advised him not to speak about pleading guilty.

"I understand you don't want me to do it, but I want it done," he said.

Williams said he was not in a position to present Plotts with his options until an expert evaluates his mental health.

"Whatever he says at this point, nobody knows if he's filtering it through a mental-health problem," Williams said after the hearing. He said the case could still go to trial.

Judge Mary Alice Brennan told Plotts he has a right to plead guilty, and scheduled his next court appearance for Feb. 9.

Williams said Plotts was unlikely to plead guilty then. A guilty plea "may or may not be helpful for him," he said, "and may or may not be what he wants."