Suspect in Colorado Shooting Wants to Be His Own Lawyer
By JACK HEALY
DEC. 23, 2015
... “I invoke my constitutional right to defend myself,” Mr. Dear, 57, said. “How can I trust my attorney when he says in the newspaper I’m incompetent?”
For the second time, Mr. Dear transformed a procedural hearing into a bizarre spectacle. He asserted his constitutional rights, alluded to being poisoned and invited the judge to take a hair sample from him, all while sitting shackled at the defense table in a teal jail smock.
At his first court appearance two weeks ago, Mr. Dear declared himself a “warrior for the babies” and said he was guilty of the attack, which left three people dead.
Judge Gilbert Anthony Martinez of Colorado’s Fourth Judicial District ordered Mr. Dear to undergo a competency examination to determine whether he understood the court case and was mentally able to waive his right to a lawyer and stand in his own defense. The evaluation at Colorado’s state mental hospital could take months, and Mr. Dear told the judge he would refuse to cooperate ...
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/24/us/suspect-in-colorado-shooting-wants-to-be-his-own-lawyer.html
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