The order, signed by Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Christine Durham, said the stay was consistent with the court's "long-standing practice of permitting such stays routinely.''

Defense attorney David Finlayson said Monday the decision "makes sense."

"We're years down the road since we've been dealing with this," he said, noting that a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court could come within six weeks.

Finlayson's co-counsel, Scott C. Williams, had argued Friday in favor of the stay, telling the Utah Supreme Court that Barzee could suffer an "irreversible impact" if forced to take psychotropic drugs.

But Assistant Utah Attorney General Christine Soltis claimed it was a waste of time to delay Barzee's treatment any longer. Soltis said chances were slim that the U.S. Supreme Court would hear Barzee's case because the court agrees to hear only 1 percent of the nearly 6,000 requests it receives each year.

Barzee was deemed incompetent to stand trial in early 2004 by 3rd District Judge Judith Atherton, and Barzee entered Utah State Hospital in April 2004.

According to previous court testimony, Barzee - who claims she is the "mother of Zion" and receives messages from God through her television - does not speak to doctors and does not accept treatment and has made no progress toward competency.

Atherton in 2006 used guidelines set out in a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to determine Barzee could be forcibly medicated. The Utah Supreme Court in December upheld Atherton's ruling.

The judge ordered doctors to proceed in early March, but the high court issued a temporary stay on March 11, before any drugs were given to Barzee.

Atherton also has found Barzee's husband and co-defendant, Brian David Mitchell, to be incompetent. Mitchell, who is also a candidate for forced medication, has been at Utah State Hospital for nearly three years with no improvement.

shunt@sltrib.com