Sniper Suspect Ends Self-Representation

Yahoo News ^ | 10/22/03 | SONJA BARISIC, Associated Press Writer

[TexKat]

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Sniper suspect John Allen Muhammad on Wednesday fired himself as his own counsel after two days. Standby lawyers Jonathan Shapiro and Peter Greenspun once again took over as his attorneys.

Circuit Judge LeRoy F. Millette Jr. informed the jury of Muhammad's decision after a half-hour conference at the judge's bench.

[TexKat]

Reminds me of an Eddie Murphy Movie I believe it was Coming to America, when he plays the part of the gay singer, Sexual Chocolate, wearing the skyblue skin tight prom suit. When he makes a gesture to go and states I'm out of here.

[Young Rhino]

Maybe another personality will emerge and be retained as counsel...perhaps a heterosexual one.

[DonQ]

I have serious questions about the judge's decision last week to permit Mohammed to go forward as his own spokesman. Ironically, letting Mohammed do what he wanted could have been giving him a strong appellate issue that could overturn a guilty verdict.

It has already happened in other cases: Mohammed, after representing himself and being convicted, will contend that there is or was evidence that he had a mental or psychiatric defect which (even though it was not severe enough to be a defense to a murder charge) meant that he was not capable of adequately handling his own trial, the judge should not have entrusted him with his own defense because of this defect, and therefore he was deprived of effective assistance of counsel, etc., and so the conviction must be set aside and he is entitled to a new trial in which a real lawyer would handle his case.