Federal examiners have determined that Decarlos Brown Jr., the man accused in the stabbing murder of Iryna Zarutska on board the Charlotte, North Carolina light rail in 2025, “is not competent to proceed” in his federal case because his level of mental illness makes him incapable of participating in his own defense.
Brown’s murder trial has already been delayed due to astate judge finding him incompetent to proceed. Now, the accused’s attorneys want a hearing to put off afederal caseof committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system.
According toThe Carolina Journal, Brown’s lawyers say that federal mental health evaluators with the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Prisons say Brown is incompetent andunable to assist in his own defense.
The Thursday filing asks a judge to look at a competency hearing for their client.
“DeCarlos Brown suffers from serious mental illness and impairments,” the motion read.
“Our Constitution requires that, before he can be tried, or possibly sentenced to death, he must first be capable of proceeding in his criminal case. Now, federal examiners with the Department of Justice-Bureau of Prisons have determined that Mr. Brown’s mental illness and impairments make him currently incapable of proceeding in his federal criminal case.
“This Court should now set a hearing, find Mr. Brown incompetent, and remand him into the custody of the Attorney General for secure hospitalization and treatment.”
The evaluators found that Brown “has a mental illness … and a mental defect” and “does not have a factual understanding of the legal system or his legal situation because of his mental illness.”
Thus, the examiners found, Brown “cannot make rational case-related decisions because of his mental illness,” and “cannot work with his defense attorneys because of his mental illness.”
“For years, Mr. Brown has suffered from debilitating mental illness and impairment,” Brown’s lawyers wrote in the motion.
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