DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman adopted a report that found no evidence a homicide defendant was mental incompetent and ruled he could handle his own defense during a hearing on May 29.
Kyle Piunti, 37, is charged with second-degree murder while armed and three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon for his alleged involvement in a fatal hit-and-run on Jan. 3, 2024. The incident, which occurred on Highway I-295 southbound around Mile Marker 1, resulted in the death of 54-year-old Michael Hamlin.
Judge Edelman reviewed forensic reports from the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) that deemed Piunti competent to stand trial. To stand trial, Piunti must understand the charges against him and be able to assist in his defense. No parties objected to Piunti’s competency.
The judge also discussed motions filed by Piunti himself, noting they showed a “rational understanding” of the evidence and legal strategy. “Somebody being stubborn is not the same as somebody being incompetent,” Judge Edelman said. He concluded that he saw no “red flags” warranting further competency evaluations.
David Akulian replaced previous attorney Howard McEachern, who Judge Edelman dismissed from the case at the hearing. While Akulian will act as an “attorney advisor,” he clarified he would not be prepared to take over as lead trial counsel with such short notice.
“Your preference is to go forward on June 29 representing yourself with an advisor,” Judge Edelman asked Piunti.
Piunti, who is held at the jail, raised concerns regarding his access to evidence after his laptop was seized at the jail. The prosecution flagged the computer after Piunti created a Proton email account to file motions online. Proton Mail is an encrypted email service.
Piunti argued he was “punished” for trying to meet the same procedural standards as an attorney. Judge Edelman said he would reach out to the jail to see if access could be restored.
The prosecution informed Judge Edelman that the paper evidence in the case is “quite significant.” Judge Edelman encouraged the prosecution to “dot every I and cross every T” to ensure the record reflects all evidence provided to the defense.
Parties are scheduled to reconvene on June 5.
