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Denver Fenton Allen competent to stand trial


47of74

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Denver Fenton Allen of Rick and Morty fame has been found competent to stand trial

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Denver Fenton Allen was found fit and competent by a jury that deliberated more than an hour Tuesday, the newspaper reported. Allen is accused of beating fellow inmate Stephen Rudolph Nalley to death at the Floyd County Jail in August 2015. 

In a June 2016 hearing, Allen provoked Superior Court Judge Bryant Durham into a heated and expletive-filled exchange in open court that drew national attention.

The 11-minute incident became the subject of a comedy sketch on an episode of Adult Swim's animated series "Rick and Morty."

Despite having been previously warned by Judge Billy Sparks to stay quiet during the hearing Tuesday, Allen continued his history of outbursts when the jury returned its decision.

And here's the Rick and Morty video, in all it's glory.

 

 

 

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That Ricky and Morty video of Denver Fenton Allen arguing with the judge never gets old and I love the look on the court reporter's face is classic.  Just how would a court reporter stenotype those naughty words into the court record?

DF Allen reminds me a bit of Rodney Alcala, the notorious "Dating Game" killer.  He defended himself in his third trial proving once and for all that the defendant who serves as his own lawyer has a fool for a client.  Both men went totally off the rails in the courtroom.  One witness against Alcala was a girl (Tali Shapiro) that he'd raped and left for dead when she was 12.  She came back for the trial when Alcala was on trial for murdering several women including 12 year old Robin Samsone.  In Alacala's cross examination of Tali, he actually admitted in court that he'd assaulted her.  Just how stupid do you have to be to admit in court that you assaulted someone if you want to be acquitted?

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21 hours ago, 47of74 said:

Denver Fenton Allen of Rick and Morty fame has been found competent to stand trial

This brings to mind a serious question for all the legal types on fj:

How can I know when/if an upcoming defendant is being assessed for competency to stand trial?  This person is in custody and is currently going through the legal process on a murder charge.  Today, in fact, is his first pre-trial conference after several pre-prelims and two preliminary examinations (one of which he waived).

I've been told I can request transcripts of these proceedings, which are open to the public, but I have not yet done so.  Is that the only way I could track his competency determination process or is there a more prescriptive formula that might tell me if it's an issue in this case?

I'm just not familiar with how that determination happens, where in the pre-trial process, etc.  I saw a mention on another case that the defendant's competence was decided by a jury -- does mean a separate jury was called for the determination and then a whole new jury would be assembled for the actual trial if he was competent?  Or is it done as a part of the trial, all with one jury?

Any procedural understanding of this process that anyone can offer would be much appreciated.

tagging those I recall are legalish in addition to @47of74 --  @Mela99 @Buzzard 

Thanks in advance!

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Depends on the state of course, but his attorney would probably request or schedule a psychological evaluation to determine if he's competent, which normally means "able to understand the charges against you and assist in your own defense". 

I don't think you could get access to any psychological information unless it became part of the record. 

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Thanks @Mela99 -- so it sounds like you're saying that determination normally happens outside the courtroom, rather than with a jury.  

It apparently happens differently with different cases, and there is so much I don't know about the process.  In fact I might also be conflating "competent to stand trial" and "insanity" as a potential plea.  I will do some reading up, and I do also plan to request transcripts to see what is publicly available.  Thanks for the reply!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just learned this morning that earlier this month Allen pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life;

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A Georgia man — whose extraordinarily vulgar courtroom exchange with a judge was immortalized by the hit TV show “Rick and Morty” — has pleaded guilty but mentally ill to killing his cellmate.

Denver Fenton Allen, 33, pleaded guilty Monday after Judge Billy Sparks denied Allen’s motion that he killed Stephen Rudolph Nalley in self-defense after just five days in the Floyd County Jail, the Rome News-Tribune reports.

Allen — who suffers from delusions and schizophrenia, according to a state evaluation that still found him fit for trial — was sentenced to life in prison Monday, prompting him to threaten to kill people in the courtroom, including the assistant district attorney.

The assistant DA said that he needs to be in prison until he goes off to meet his maker.

 

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