After nearly five years of tumult that included a high-profile trial, jail time and stays in psychiatric institutions, a court hearing this week indicated dressage trainer Michael Barisone may be a step closer to resuming his life with horses.
Since being discharged from Greystone Psychiatric Hospital in November, Barisone has been free to travel around New Jersey as he wishes, but is prohibited from leaving the state while he is under supervision of the court.
He wants to move to Loxahatchee, Fla., where he owns a farm with his fiancée, Lara Osborne, so he can work with his horses that are stabled there and continue the relationship with his partner.
In 2022, Barisone was found not guilty by reason of insanity on a second-degree attempted murder charge involving Lauren Kanarek, a former student and tenant he was charged with shooting twice in August 2019. He has stated he has no recollection of the incident that transpired after Kanarek and her boyfriend, Rob Goodwin, clashed with him repeatedly.
Barisone, the alternate for the 2008 U.S. Olympic dressage team, has been subject to periodic Krol hearings. They are held to judge the progress of a criminal defendant who has been confined to a psychiatric institution following a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.
During Tuesday’s Krol hearing in Morristown, N.J., before Superior Court Judge Stephen Taylor, Barisone’s lawyers, Ed Bilinkas and Chris Deininger, asked that their client be allowed to go to Florida.
Michael Barisone and attorney Ed Bilinkas. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I’m not disinclined to do that, I’ll be honest with you,” said the judge.
“I think it’s important for Mr. Barisone to get on with his life. But I also have to recognize there are dangers here…this was an exceedingly violent offense that almost cost the life of Miss Kanarek.”
The judge also pointed out that she lives near Barisone’s Florida farm and is involved with the equestrian scene, which prompts him to be concerned about what might happen if Barisone encounters her in the area.
“How is that going to end up? Is that likely?” asked Taylor. “I don’t know.”
Dr. Jonathan Wall, a psychologist who has been treating Barisone in New Jersey, was questioned by both Morris County Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Schellhorn and Barisone’s lawyers about his client’s state of mind.
Barisone had been abused as a child. When Barisone was dealing with Kanarek, he suffered from delusional disorder and believed she was trying to kill him, a psychologist said during his November hearing.
Wall said Barisone currently has no symptoms of clinical depression, but was sad about what has happened to his career since the shooting, telling the doctor, “This would have been my year.”
Under questioning by Bilinkas, Wall agreed that Barisone has admitted responsibility for the shooting and is remorseful for his conduct. He also agreed that after therapy, he saw “no further signs of any delusional thinking” and it is unlikely that Barisone “would suffer another delusional event” like the one that ended in tragedy.
The psychologist said in his report to the court he addressed “managing the risk,” but did not administer a risk assessment.
“I did not find Dr. Wall’s testimony particularly helpful,” the judge said later in the proceedings, noting there was nothing in his report about “dangerousness.”
“That’s the whole purpose of this,” the judge commented.
Barisone’s team is proposing that if he moved to Florida, he would be treated there by another psychologist, Dr. David Landry.
Looking at Landry’s resume, Taylor noted that he does evaluations of clients and said it appeared he has been involved in the court system “and may have a better understanding of what is required here,” citing “some assessment of continued dangerousness.”
Osborne, who got to know Barisone in 2018 when her daughter began riding with him, testified about Barisone’s living conditions in a gated community, where their farm is also gated. In response to a question from Schellhorn, she said there are no guns on the property.
Judge Stephen Taylor and Lara Osborne. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Taylor is concerned about “the authority of the court” once Barisone leaves New Jersey.
He said he is not at the point where he wants to give up jurisdiction, and feels it is necessary to have a mechanism in place that would allow the court to have Barisone brought back to New Jersey if, for instance, he stops going to the doctor in Florida.
At some juncture, Taylor said, “if he continues to progress, maybe we’ll get to the point where supervision is not necessary. We’re not at that point right now.”
Schellhorn asked the court to continue Barisone on his therapy and the current set of conditions, seeing no reason to change them. If Barisone violated conditions or began to exhibit signs of additional psychosis in Florida, the prosecutor was not sure what the mechanism would be to bring him back to New Jersey. At this point, risk “does appear to be relatively low,” but he noted Barisone is not in proximity to Kanarek. That risk would increase if he were to move to Florida, said Schellhorn.
Bilinkas noted for Barisone to be separated from Osborne and other family members in Florida “could have a deleterious effect if this continues,” were he “not allowed to go to his own home.”
The lawyer contends “he needs to be able to make a living, he needs to be able to help his fiancée” and without being in Florida, “it will be more difficult for him to survive financially.”
The judge said he is not inclined to release Barisone without supervision. Taylor asked for briefs from the attorneys about how Barisone legally could be returned to New Jersey from Florida. The judge also added he would like a certification from Landry that he is willing to take the case. Another hearing is scheduled for Aug. 30.
Meanwhile, Barisone, who will be 60 next month, has been living in Readington at the home of a former client, doing repairs for her, working on his collection of old trucks and cars, writing a book and exercising. He would like to be able to visit his friends in other states “and just go back to living,” he said during an interview outside the courtroom.
The trainer has not competed at FEI level since 2016. He is under an interim suspension from SafeSport and the U.S. Equestrian Federation, pending the outcome of a formal investigation and final decision, which means he can’t attend shows or teach.
His dream?
“I want to ride a horse in the World Cup or the WEG (World Equestrian Games) one more time,” he said.
“That will be enough.”
