WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A Washington County judge scheduled a pair of hearings in advance of an attempted capital murder trial in connection with the courthouse stabbing of a probation officer last year.

Zachry Seward, 31, is accused of attacking that officer on June 28, 2022. He reportedly went to the victim’s office at the Washington County drug court and stabbed her twice in the left leg and once at the base of the skull behind the right ear. He is charged with attempted capital murder and battery in the third degree.

On February 28, Judge Joanna Taylor scheduled two hearings in the case in Washington County circuit court. First, on March 31 she will address the defense’s request to lower Seward’s bond amount. The defendant’s attorney, Ramon Bertucci, filed a motion on February 6 asking the court to cut the bond in half, from $500,000 to $250,000.

The judge also set a status hearing for April 11. In that order, she stated that the court found that a mental evaluation of Seward has not yet been completed.

On August 26, 2022, Bertucci filed a notice of intent to “rely on the defense of mental disease or defect.” Sealed court records indicate that a pair of forensic evaluations were submitted on November 21, 2022, but details about those are unavailable.

Seward remains in custody at the Washington County jail.