By Cherranda Smith
Attorneys for
Dylann Roof, the man who killed nine Black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina, argued Tuesday (May 25) that he shouldn’t have been able to represent himself during part of his trial. Roof’s legal team cited his “delusional belief” that white nationalists would save Roof only if he didn’t put mental health evidence into his defense should have proven to the trial judge at the time that he wasn’t competent to represent himself.
The Huffington Post, Roof’s attorneys argued before a three-judge panel this week, asking the court to vacate both Roof’s conviction and his death sentence, or remand the case to court so that a “proper competency evaluation” could take place. The attorneys argued that Roof wasn’t given this evaluation during his trial in 2017.
By Cherranda Smith
Attorneys for
Dylann Roof, the man who killed nine Black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina, argued Tuesday (May 25) that he shouldn’t have been able to represent himself during part of his trial. Roof’s legal team cited his “delusional belief” that white nationalists would save Roof only if he didn’t put mental health evidence into his defense should have proven to the trial judge at the time that he wasn’t competent to represent himself.
The Huffington Post, Roof’s attorneys argued before a three-judge panel this week, asking the court to vacate both Roof’s conviction and his death sentence, or remand the case to court so that a “proper competency evaluation” could take place. The attorneys argued that Roof wasn’t given this evaluation during his trial in 2017.
Reuters
2 minute read
Dylann Storm Roof appears by closed-circuit television at his bond hearing in Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. June 19, 2015 in a still image from video. REUTERS/POOL
Lawyers for Dylann Roof, the white supremacist who killed nine Black people at a South Carolina church in 2015, argued on Tuesday in court to overturn his conviction and sentence because he was not competent to stand trial and represent himself.
Attorneys for Roof pressed their case during an appeals court hearing on Tuesday, squaring off with U.S. government lawyers trying to uphold his conviction on 33 federal charges, including hate crimes, and subsequent death sentence.
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May 25, 2021 | 11:57 AM
(Reuters) – Lawyers for Dylann Roof, the white supremacist who killed nine Black people at a South Carolina church in 2015, argued on Tuesday in court to overturn his conviction and sentence because he was not competent to stand trial and represent himself.
Attorneys for Roof pressed their case during an appeals court hearing on Tuesday, squaring off with U.S. government lawyers trying to uphold his conviction on 33 federal charges, including hate crimes, and subsequent death sentence.
Federal public defenders representing Roof launched the appeal in early 2020. They argued that Roof suffered from schizophrenia spectrum disorder and other mental problems and “believed his sentence didn’t matter because white nationalists would free him from prison after an impending race war.”