On June 18 a DC Superior Court judge released a defendant from St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, saying that he will not realistically be sentenced to more time than he has already spent in the psychiatric hospital.
Geovanny Granados-Turcios, 28, was charged with defacing property and the destruction of property less than $1,000 on April 9.
He was placed in St. Elizabeth’s Hospital on April 13. Since then, he has been ruled competent and is compliant with his medications, according to his defense attorney, Thomas Engle.
The prosecution opposed Granados-Turcios’ release, citing a burglary charge and re-offenses that occurred within days of his last release from the hospital on April 3.
Judge Jonathan Pittman agreed that Granados-Turcios’ seemed competent enough for release, but does require that Granados-Turcios contact the Pretrial Services Agency in order to connect with mental health services.
Judge Pittman says he is hopeful that Granados-Turcios’ prior conduct was related to his mental condition. He also said that Granados-Turcios would be detained at DC Jail if he re-offends after being released.
Granados-Turcios’ next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 16.
