DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt ordered a mental competency evaluation by the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) for a shooting defendant on Oct. 29 after he rejected his plea agreement made at the last hearing.
Karlos Bibb, 25, is charged with second-degree murder for his alleged involvement in a high-speed car chase that led to the death of 20-year old Jamya Williams on July 3, 2021, at the intersection of 14th and K Streets, NW.
Judge Brandt spoke with a doctor at DBH regarding a mental evaluation for Bibb. All parties agreed that an evaluation is necessary—especially with the trial currently scheduled for January, as remarked by the prosecution.
The judge ordered the preliminary forensic evaluation to occur with the doctor at DBH, who requested to personally handle Bibb’s evaluation. In order to stand trial, a defendant must be mentally competent enough to understand the charges against him and assist his lawyer in the case.
The defense team, Jason Clark and Shawn Sukumar, will send the doctor Bibb’s medical records. They mentioned specific concerns over his memory loss and apparent cognitive impairment, which prompted their desire for an evaluation following the surprise plea rejection. The terms of the plea were not discussed in court.
The prosecution will also be turning over the jail calls to the doctor. She said that Bibb has been discussing the case over the phone while in jail, including the defense strategy, his memory, and the terms of the original plea offer. For client-attorney privilege, calls between Bibb and his attorneys will not be turned over.
A transcript of the hearing where Bibbs rejected the plea will also be provided to the doctor and to Judge Brandt, who wishes to review it ahead of the next hearing.
The parties are slated to reconvene on Nov. 13.
