Defense Requests Postponement to Review Attempted Murder Defendant’s Competency

By Andrew Michaels - December 1, 2023
Attempted Murder | Court | Daily Stories | Non-Fatal Shooting | Shooting | Suspects |

Defense counsel for 40-year-old attempted murder suspect Kenneth Oakley requested a two-week postponement on Nov. 30 to allow him and his co-counsel to review the defendant’s recently completed competency evaluation.

According to attorney Adam Demetriou, Oakley was found competent to stand trial on Nov. 27 following a competency evaluation. During mental health court on Nov. 29, Oakley’s other attorney, Michael Lawlor, asked Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Gale E. Rasin for an additional two weeks to review the report before scheduling a trial date.

On Thursday, the prosecution offered Oakley a plea of life, suspending all but 60 years, with five years of supervised probation, for attempted first-degree murder and a concurrent five years without parole for firearm use in a felony or violent crime.

Given defense’s claims of Oakley’s mental incompetence, Demetriou informed Judge Melissa M. Phinn it would not be appropriate for him to make a decision at this time.

Judge Phinn agreed to have the defendant return to reception court on Dec. 14.

Oakley is accused of shooting another man in a rear alley behind the victim’s mother’s home on the 1300 block of North Ellwood Avenue on Sept. 24, 2022. The victim reportedly told Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers that the defendant fired two shots at him as the victim was walking into his mother’s backyard. Police later recovered neighbors’ Ring and Vivint camera footage that showed the incident.

The defendant was arrested that same day after an officer identified him outside of the Eastern District police station.

Oakley is charged with attempted first and second-degree murder, first and second-degree assault, firearm use in a felony or violent crime, reckless endangerment, firearm possession with a drug conviction, having a handgun on his person, having a loaded handgun on his person, illegal possession of ammunition, discharging firearms and two counts of firearm possession with a felony conviction.