A stabbing defendant was declared mentally competent to stand trial before DC Superior Court Judge Deborah Israel after a behavioral expert said he was malingering on Oct. 30.
Chauncey Liverpool, 32, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for his alleged involvement in a non-fatal stabbing on the 4300 block of 3rd Street, SE, on Sept. 9. One individual was wounded.
At the hearing, Judge Israel informed parties a doctor from Saint Elizabeths Hospital for psychiatric patients found Liverpool competent to stand trial but said he was initially malingering-feigning illness to avoid punishment. In September, Liverpool refused to take part in a psychiatric evaluation. That’s when a full competency evaluation was ordered. The new report declared that Liverpool does not need the level of mental health treatment provided by the hospital.
In order to stand trial, a defendant must understand the charges against him and be able to help his lawyer defend the case.
Liverpool’s lawyer, Howard McEachern, did not object. However, he noted that Liverpool says he is not getting all the medical care he needs at the DC Jail, though his exact conditions weren’t specified.
Judge Israel ordered a medical alert be sent to the jail on Liverpool’s behalf. Meanwhile, he waived his right to a preliminary hearing and remains jailed.
The next hearing in the case is set for Nov. 12.
