Teen accused of posing as physician may use insanity defense

A judge has delayed the trial of Malachi Love-Robinson, the 19-year-old accused of posing as a physician, according to the Palm Beach Post.

The trial was slated to begin in September, but it has been postponed until November to allow Mr. Love-Robinson's lawyer time to explore whether an insanity defense is viable. The court ordered Mr. Love-Robinson to undergo a mental health evaluation, and the results led his lawyer to explore the option of a defense centered on the teen's mental state, according to the report.

Mr. Love-Robinson was arrested in February and charged with practicing medicine without a license. He allegedly performed physical exams and gave medical advice to people — including an undercover officer — at an illegal medical office he ran in West Palm Beach, Fla.

That incident was not the first time Mr. Love-Robinson had been accused of masquerading as a physician. He was previously investigated by the Florida Department of Health for practicing medicine without a license in October 2015, and he is the same teen caught in January 2015 pretending to be a physician at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach. Mr. Love-Robinson played physician at St. Mary's for a month before he was ousted by Sebastian Kent, MD, an OB/GYN whose office is on the St. Mary's campus.

In addition to being accused of practicing medicine without a license, Mr. Love-Robinson also faces charges of grand theft for cashing checks he allegedly stole during house calls with an 86-year-old patient.

If convicted on the 10 charges pending against him, Mr. Love-Robinson faces a minimum of eight years in prison, according to the Palm Beach Post.

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