Judge Says Man Accused of 2020 Murder Incompetent to Stand Trial

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On Jan. 17, Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Gale E. Rasin found a 59-year-old homicide defendant incompetent again despite his own belief he is competent.

Richard Sylvester Green is charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault and three counts of firearm use in a felony violent crime in connection to the June 2020 murder of 57-year-old Tyra Phillips Womack

Green cited the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights as he addressed the court asking to either be released or go to trial. Green said he was neither incompetent nor a convict, so holding him for this long without a trial was unconstitutional. 

The Maryland Judiciary website states that Green was previously found incompetent and committed in October 2021. 

In his statement, he also said that his assigned public defender Janet Andersen “ha[d] no intent of defending” him and that she hadn’t met with him in a long time. His stand-in defense attorney, Sharon Bogins Eberhart, interjected they had all been on a recent Zoom call to review his case.

Judge Rasin told Green, “I am not going to review the Constitution with you.” She found Green incompetent and ordered his commitment. 

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