Luke Chrisco, the accused Boulder “potty peeper,” will be allowed to represent himself in court — despite his now-former attorney’s concerns about his mental competency, a Boulder district judge ruled Tuesday.

Judge Thomas Mulvahill walked Chrisco through a lengthy advisement in court, asking the suspect — who is accused of peering at women in public restrooms and from inside a portable toilet — about his legal experience and ability to represent himself.

Mulvahill repeatedly warned Chrisco of the risks of doing so, and Chrisco frequently interrupted Mulvahill to ask whether the charges against him were based in common law, to assert the importance of commercial law to this case and to complain about conditions at the Boulder County Jail, where he is being held.

“I understand that I can make a mistake, and I take that liability with limited liability,” Chrisco told the judge. “For the cause of justice, I’m willing to assume any risk.”

When asked if he knew how to question potential jurors to ensure an impartial jury, Chrisco said, “Yes, I shall competently commence such an examination of the jury and ensure they are culled from the populace and common people.”

When asked whether he was under the influence of any drugs or alcohol, Chrisco said, “No, but I am partly under the influence of the unjust and tyrannical rule of the Boulder County Jail.”

Mulvahill repeatedly told Chrisco his charges were based on alleged violations of state statute and that Chrisco was bound by the statutes of the state of Colorado. Chrisco said statutes are based on mandates, while law is based on justice, and that he would be asserting a common law defense.

Chrisco said he studied rhetoric and the philosophy of common law for several hours a week over a five-month period in Tucson, Ariz.

After Mulvahill granted the request, Chrisco’s court-appointed attorney, Jason Savela, now discharged of his duties, said he had planned to raise the issue of Chrisco’s mental competency.

Mulvahill asked Savela why he didn’t bring that up before he made a decision. Savela said he wanted to, but he didn’t know how because he never has had a situation like this before.

Defendants have a right to represent themselves, but judges can deny such a request if they do not feel the person is mentally competent to make that choice.

Chrisco asked that Savela be appointed to be his advisory counsel. Mulvahill said he would appoint an attorney to serve as advisory counsel, but it may or may not be Savela.

Chrisco faces multiple felony counts of burglary and unlawful sexual contact. He was arrested last summer a few days after a woman using a portable toilet at a Boulder yoga festival noticed something moving in the tank and then saw a feces-stained man emerge from the toilet and run away.

According to police and court records, Chrisco — who was arrested by Vail police in an unrelated incident — told Boulder and University of Colorado police that he hid in crawl spaces and bathrooms around Boulder, including at CU, Naropa University, the Department of Motor Vehicles office and a number of businesses, in order to watch women use the toilet.

Police later found physical modifications in many of the locations that matched Chrisco’s descriptions of his hiding places.

Chrisco had been scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday. He told the judge he may decide to plead guilty to avoid going to trial.

The arraignment was rescheduled for Dec. 15.