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By
D.C. Witness Staff
- March 3, 2021
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The defense attorney in a domestic violence case contested a doctor’s finding that her client is competent to stand trial.
The defendant is charged with felony assault with a dangerous weapon and is currently being held at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, DC’s psychiatric institution.
During the March 3 hearing, defense attorney Khadija Ali said she agrees with some of what the doctor said about the defendant appearing to have an understanding of the court process. Instead, Ali said she is having difficulty communicating with her client.
The defendant has been civilly committed in Maryland after being found incompetent in a criminal case. Ali said she wants to learn more about Maryland’s competency standards so she can compare them with DC’s.
In the meantime, DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo ordered another competency exam and scheduled another mental observation hearing for April 17.
The defendant will remain at St. Elizabeth’s, which Ali said would be a more “stabilizing environment” for him than the jail. The prosecution did not oppose.