Guilty plea in Maryland newspaper shootings

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A Maryland man pleaded guilty Monday in the slayings of five staffers at an Annapolis newspaper, and a jury is expected to hear testimony within weeks about whether he was not responsible by reason of insanity.

Jarrod Ramos pleaded guilty in the 2018 massacre at the Capital Gazette newspaper. Judge Laura Ripken accepted his plea Monday afternoon.

Ripken said she determined that Ramos “freely, knowingly and voluntarily” waived his right to a jury trial to determine his guilt or innocence.

Wearing green jail clothes and a long beard, Ramos stood in court and repeatedly answered “that is correct” when asked by the judge whether he understood he was giving up his right to the first phase of his trial to determine whether he committed the crimes.

“Yes, I am,” Ramos said, when asked if he was guilty of all 23 courts in an indictment, including first-degree murder.

Employees of the newspaper who attended the hearing held hands and wiped at tears during the court proceeding.

Rachael Pacella, a Capital Gazette staffer who survived the shooting by hiding between file cabinets, said Ramos’ guilty plea brought a “big emotional relief” for her.

“I definitely feel a little bit better and a little bit lighter after this plea,” she said.

Rick Hutzell, the newspaper’s editor, said he hopes Ramos’ guilty plea provides some comfort to the survivors of the shootings and relatives of the five employees who were killed. But he said he doesn’t know if it brings any justice.

“There is no justice for the dead,” Hutzell said.

The 39-year-old Ramos had originally pleaded not guilty and not criminally responsible. The latter term is Maryland’s version of an insanity defense.

Under Maryland law, a defendant has the burden to show by a preponderance of the evidence that he is not criminally responsible for his actions. State law says a defendant is not criminally responsible for criminal conduct if, because of a mental disorder or developmental disabilities, he lacked substantial capacity to appreciate the criminality of his conduct.

According to the state’s attorney, jury selection is expected to start Wednesday. A hearing to determine whether Ramos is criminally responsible would begin in November.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2ppqB0f