DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt found Jafekka Harris mentally incompetent to stand trial on June 18.
Harris, 34, is charged with second-degree murder of a senior citizen for her alleged involvement in the fatal beating of 79-year-old Bettie Duke on the 3100 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE on Oct. 5, 2024. Duke succumbed to her injuries on Oct. 13, 2024.
Judge Brandt reviewed a report from the prosecution’s medical expert, and with no objections from either party, determined there was no “substantial probability” of Harris regaining mental competence in the foreseeable future.
In order to be considered mentally competent to stand trial, a defendant must understand the charges levied against them and be able to assist their attorney in their defense.
If a defendant is found mentally incompetent to stand trial, under the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the Jackson v. Indiana (1972) case the defendant must be civilly committed or released.
Civil commitment officially shifts the custody of the defendant from a criminal matter to a medical condition. To ensure Harris continues to receive necessary medical care, the prosecution has 30 days to file a petition for civil commitment.
In the next phase, the defendant will be admitted to a DC residential facility, where she will receive ongoing treatment. A DC Superior Court judge will review Harris’s mental competency annually and decide whether to renew or discontinue the civil commitment.
Five years after being found mentally incompetent, the defense can ask a judge to dismiss the charges if they deem the defendant incompetent for the foreseeable future.
Parties are slated to meet on July 17 to verify that the civil commitment filing occurred.
