A Garfield County jail inmate who’s facing a slew of felony charges was sent last week to a mental health facility in Pueblo.

Appearing via phone call before District Court Judge Denise Lynch on Thursday, 35-year-old Rifle man Janvier Pinkard asked for an additional competency evaluation prior to his next court appearance.

“I’ve been diligently working, and I need, your honor, to ask for another (evaluation) prior to our next court date. … I’m more than ready. I’ve been diligent,” Pinkard said. “I’m taking medications now. It’s a huge different ballgame.”

In early June, Pinkard appeared before Lynch with a noticeably significant injury on his neck. Though it was not disclosed how Pinkard suffered the injury, public defender Elise Myer said the injury produced a potentially lethal infection.

Lynch granted Pinkard a competency evaluation.

“So, as the court knows, Mr. Pinkard was opined and found incompetent to proceed, and he was designated as ‘tier one,’” Myer said. Tier one is a high level of mental incompetency. “He was moved last week, I believe, to the Colorado Mental Health Institute, where he is being treated.”

On Thursday, however, Lynch ordered Pinkard’s status be restored to “competency.”

“The next step, Mr. Pinkard, is restoration,” Lynch said. “So, hopefully, you’ll be restored very quickly. You do sound a lot better, I will say that.”

A request for a review hearing in relation to the restoration process has been made by Pinkard.

“I think that Mr. Pinkard, in all likelihood, wants his case to press forward,” Myer said. “Just so he knows, we need to get through restoration before we can substantively really do anything in court and on the record.”

Pinkard was originally incarcerated at the Garfield County Detention Facility following his arrest in December 2020.

Pinkard was accused of forcing his way into a Silt foster home while brandishing a firearm on Dec. 20, 2020.

The mother of Pinkard’s child was at the time of the incident living there, and Pinkard allegedly demanded to see a safe that he claimed stored child pornography.

Pinkard was motivated by “concerns for his daughter,” Myer told Lynch earlier this year.

Pinkard faces charges of felony kidnapping, burglary and false imprisonment, as well misdemeanor counts of violation of a protection order, child abuse, harassment, felon in possession with a weapon and intimidating a victim.

In addition to those charges, officers found drugs stashed on Pinkard’s person during the booking process. So Pinkard was also charged with felony tampering with physical evidence, introducing contraband in the first degree as well as unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

On Thursday, Pinkard requested that protection orders be lifted for his daughter.

“Or, can we get the child to my relatives versus another foster parent?” Pinkard asked.

Lynch said she was not inclined to modify the protection order at this time.

“I want you to get a little more stable, Mr. Pinkard,” she said.

Pinkard’s next court appearance is scheduled for July 15.

Reporter Ray K. Erku can be reached at 612-423-5273 or rerku@postindependent.com.