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By
Brian Cohen [former]
, Shayna Sefret [former] - August 2, 2023
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A Baltimore City homicide defendant whose attorney filed a not criminally responsible (NCR) plea expressed frustration with his defense counsel’s neglect in reception court on July 31.
Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa M. Phinn continued defendant George Kuhn’s hearing to Aug. 4 to investigate a delay with mental health court. Judge Gale E. Rasin ordered an NCR evaluation 60 days prior to that still hadn’t been completed.
The 44-year-old defendant said he’d been very dissatisfied with his representation from defense attorney Tara LeCompte, who he claimed had only met with him for 20 minutes over six months. The attorney asked Kuhn’s mother for paperwork but proceeded to not return her calls for 45 days, according to Kuhn.
This is the third time the case has been postponed. Kuhn asked Phinn to dismiss his case.
“Tell LeCompte I want her on Zoom on Friday to discuss the NCR plea. If Kuhn doesn’t agree, let’s just schedule the trial,” said Judge Phinn to LeCompte’s stand-in attorney Amber Williams.
Kuhn told Judge Phinn that he had been stabbed 15 times in the back and the head while incarcerated for the past 14 months. The defendant had a brain tumor and suffered a concussion from an assault right before the incident he was charged with on June 12, 2022.
According to court documents, Kuhn turned himself in to police after he murdered his fiance, 36-year-old Kristy Helmert, during a domestic dispute. Police arrested Kuhn two days after the murder on the 6400 block of Erdman Avenue where Helmert was found shot dead.
Kuhn is charged with first-degree murder, firearm use in a felony violent crime and firearm possession with a felony conviction.