The first legal skirmish came on January 19, when Stevenson and Schweickart presented the report to Judge Jay C. Flowers as evidence that their client could not assist in his own defense. Flowers said he would issue an order for Southwest Community Mental Health Center in Columbus to assign its forensic psychiatry unit to examine the defendant. Gary and Judy were worried, since Southwest was usually on the side of the prosecution.

Gary insisted that whatever came out during the examination by Southwest be privileged information, not to be used against their client under any circumstances. Sherman and Yavitch disagreed. The public defenders threatened to tell Milligan not to speak with the psychologists and psychiatrists from Southwest. Judge Flowers came close to declaring them in contempt.

They came to a compromise when the prosecutors agreed that only if Milligan took the stand in his own defense would they question him about anything incriminating he might have said to the court-appointed psychologists. A partial victory was better than nothing. The public defenders finally decided to gamble and allow Southwest’s forensic psychiatric unit to interview William Milligan on those terms.

“Its a good try,” Sherman said, laughing, as they walked out of Judge Flowers’ chambers. “Shows how desperate you guys are getting. But its not going to do you any good. I still say this case is locked.”

To prevent future suicide attempts, the sheriff’s office moved Milligan to a single cell in the infirmary range and put him in a strait jacket. Later that afternoon, Russ Hill, the medic, checking on the prisoner, couldn’t believe what he saw. He called Sergeant Willis, the officer in charge of the three-to-eleven shift, and pointed at Milligan through the bars. Willis’ mouth gaped. Milligan had removed his strait jacket and, using it as a pillow, was fast asleep.

After a while the others arrived, and they arranged to have the interview in the lower-level sheriffs squad room, a large room with folding chairs, blackboards and a desk where the officers gathered at shift change.

Yavitch greeted Dr. Stella Karolin and Sheila Karolin and Sheila Porter, the social worker from Southwest, and was introduced to Drs. Wilbur and Harding.

Then the door opened, and he saw Billy Milligan for the first time. Judy Stevenson walked beside him, holding his hand. Dorothy Turner walked in front, Gary walked behind. They entered the squad room, and Milligan, seeing the crowd of people, hesitated.

Dorothy Turner introduced them one by one and then led him to the seat closest to Cornelia Wilbur. “Dr. Wilbur,” Dorothy said in a low voice, “this is Danny.”

“Hello, Danny,” Wilbur said. “I’m glad to meet you. How are you feeling?”

“All right,” he said, clinging to Dorothy’s arm.

“I know it must make you nervous to be in the room with a lot of strangers, but we’re here to help you,” Wilbur said.

They took their seats and Schweickart leaned over and whispered to Yavitch, “When you see this, if you still don’t believe it, I’ll turn my license in.”