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Self-Appointed Lawyer: Austin Shooting Suspect Shane James Jr. Declares DIY Defense
Oh, brilliant! James isn't just dissing his lawyers, he's also casually dismissing mental health checks. Because who needs competency evaluations when you can just 'man up' and deny reality, right? Go James, setting us back decades!
Published August 23, 2024 at 10:22am by Skye Seipp
Lol, Just Another Day in the Justice System π
Oh, where do I even begin? So, there's this former U.S. Army officer, Shane James Jr., who allegedly went on a multi-county shooting rampage last December and left six people dead. Yeah, you read that right. He finally showed up in court last Friday, after chilling in jail for over eight months. And guess what? He had the audacity to ask if he could represent himself. π€¦ββοΈ
So, James tells Judge Clifford Brown that his lawyers aren't cutting it. Why? Because they wanted a mental competency check. James, of course, thinks that's "baseless." Eye roll. Brown basically says, "Nah, bro. If you're gonna rep yourself, we're still doing that check." Solid burn, Judge. π₯
This dude is facing four capital murder charges, two attempted capital murder charges, and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Travis County alone. Oh, and let's not forget the three out-of-county misdemeanors and a capital murder charge in Bexar County. Casual. π¬
Now, picture this: James rolls up to court looking all gaunt and disheveled, sporting a beard, and starts talking in this super meek way, stumbling over his words. Real smooth, dude.
Authorities say this 35-year-old killed his own parents and then drove to Austin, where he killed four more people and injured three, including two cops. Before all this, he'd told investigators he was feeling some "impending doom." No shit, Sherlock.
And get this β his siblings told authorities that James has schizophrenia and had been "mentally decompensating" since leaving the army in 2015. Shocking, I know. π
Stay tuned, folks. This shitshow is still developing. πΏπ
Read more: Shane James Jr., accused of Dec. 5 shooting rampage in Austin, asks to represent himself