Mental health experts disagreed Tuesday on whether a 14-year-old accused of killing his schoolmate is competent to face a first-degree murder trial as an adult.

Two court-appointed experts testified that Michael Hernandez likely suffers from mental illness, namely depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. But they believe the teen's thinking patterns are rational enough to understand the legal system and assist in his own defense.

A defense expert said the former Southwood Middle School student suffers from schizophrenia and that his thinking is so disordered it prevents him from understanding the gravity of the charges and leaves him too out-of-touch with reality to help defense lawyers.

Circuit Judge Henry Leyte-Vidal will rule on Hernandez's competency after hearing closing arguments from prosecutors and the defense team.

REPETITIVE BEHAVIOR

Much of what the two psychologists and one psychiatrist found during evaluations of Hernandez has already come to light. In the months before the Feb. 3 stabbing death of Jaime Gough, 14, Hernandez developed odd repetitive behavior including strict exercise routines, eating the same foods day after day, ritualistic praying and checking the contents of his family's refrigerator compulsively. His parents had considered taking him to a psychologist.

Hernandez had also started to cut himself with a knife to cause himself pain.

Defense expert Barry Rosenfeld, a professor at Fordham University in New York City and an expert on juvenile competency, said Hernandez told him he would cut his arms and legs to ''punish'' himself.

Rosenfeld related one example: ``He said he would go to bed at 10:30 at night and if he hadn't fallen asleep by 10:40, he would punish himself by slashing his arm and leg.''

Rosenfeld said Hernandez didn't seem to grasp the gravity of the possible outcome of his case. At times the teen would say he might be sentenced to boot camp if he accepted a plea deal.

''He knows life in prison is the sentence if he's found guilty, but he doesn't believe that will happen to him,'' said Rosenfeld.

Hernandez has pleaded not guilty to Jaime's murder, though police said he gave them a confession hours after Jaime was found in a school bathroom with his throat slit.

Court-appointed psychologist Vanessa Archer and psychiatrist Jon Shaw both testified that while Hernandez likely suffers from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, it wouldn't interfere with his ability to assist his defense.

NOT SEEN AS PSYCHOTIC

''He didn't appear psychotic to me,'' said Archer. ``I don't believe any mental illness he might have affects his competence.''

Shaw, director of the child and adolescent psychiatry division at the University of Miami, said Hernandez didn't exhibit any of the behavioral symptoms of schizophrenia during a June interview. Shaw added the teen's medical and school records and statements by him and his parents didn't indicate a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

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