Cedar Rapids man accused of arson will undergo competency evaluation

CEDAR RAPIDS — A judge has temporarily suspended court proceedings against a Cedar Rapids man accused of setting fire to his apartment in June, endangering other tenants, and has ordered him to undergo a competency evaluation.

Jeremy Joseph Lang, 45, charged with first-degree arson, is accused of lighting fire to his bedroom closet June 15 when other tenants were inside the eight-unit apartment building at 1424 Center Point Rd. NE in Cedar Rapids.

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Firefighters kept the fire confined to Lang’s first-floor apartment, according to Cedar Rapids Fire Department officials. The fire was extinguished and the rest of the building was ventilated to remove smoke. Nobody was injured in the blaze.

Todd Weimer, Lang’s attorney, in a motion filed Aug. 12, asked the court for the temporary suspension because he didn’t think Lang could assist in his own defense or make the necessary decisions to assist. Lang may be suffering from a “mental impairment or disorder” that prevents him from understanding the charges against him or assist in his defense, Weimer stated.

Weimer asked a judge to find probable cause to question Lang’s competency to stand trial, which had been set for Sept. 24. He requested the court order a competency evaluation for Lang at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Coralville. First Assistant Linn County Attorney Monica Slaughter didn’t resist the motion, he stated.

Sixth Judicial District Judge Christopher Bruns ordered Lang to undergo the competency evaluation at the forensic hospital.

“There is probable cause to believe that the defendant is suffering from a mental disorder that prevents him from appreciating the charge, understanding the proceedings, and/or assisting effectively in his defense,” Bruns said in his Aug. 12 order.

Bruns suspended the case, pending the competency hearing that will be conducted once the evaluation is completed. He also authorized mental health professionals to provide any treatment necessary for Lang.

Lang remains in the Linn County Jail on a $25,000 bail.

Lang previously has been convicted of arson. In 2020, he was charged with first-degree arson after police said he poured gasoline on a porch in southeast Cedar Rapids and set it on fire. He pleaded guilty to second-degree arson and was sentenced to three years of probation.

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