SAN JOSE — Local prosecutors have dropped their arson case against Richard Tillman in the July destruction of a South San Jose post office, leaving his legal fate with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which is pursuing a similar charge against him in federal court.

The case dismissal was requested by Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Emily Lessard at a Monday morning court hearing where Tillman, 44, was supposed to be appointed a doctor who would evaluate his competency to stand trial, to which he strongly objected.

Instead, the district attorney’s office sought to spare the county and Superior Court the expense and resource drain of lengthy competency hearings that were expected to last several months and had already halted his local prosecution pending their outcome.

“The case wa

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