COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—A judge on Monday refused to order a state paid mental evaluation for a hermaphrodite accused in a supermodel scam, saying arguments that psychologists failed to specify which personality they evaluated wasn’t enough.
Storme Shannon Aerison, 42, was born with male and female genitalia and identifies herself as female, according to her attorney and court testimony. Psychiatrists have testified she suffers from dissociative identity disorder, once known as multiple-personality disorder.
Aerison has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to charges of theft, fraud and jumping bail.
Judicial District Judge Edward Colt agreed with doctors who say Aerison was “feigning cognitive impairment in an effort to avoid prosecution” when he ruled the trial should go forward.
Karin Bagn of Denver, Aerison’s court-appointed attorney, argued Monday that doctors in Pueblo made an error when they “didn’t ascertain the dominant personality” they evaluated. She also argued that Aerison is indigent, which means the state should pay.
Colt gave Bagn until July 23 to decide if the defense would pay for its own expert evaluation.
In the 1990s, Aerison became know as the person who impersonated a high school student to join a girls cheerleading squad.
She has been arrested at least three times since 2000 on charges of defrauding a credit union of thousands of dollars, impersonating a model to get others to pay for trips to photo shoots and jumping bail.
