A California judge has ruled that a 29-year-old parolee with a history of mental illness is fit to stand trial in the slaying of a woman on an Oakland subway platform in 2018.
A judge has ruled that a 29-year-old parolee with a history of mental illness is mentally fit to stand trial in the slaying of a woman on an Oakland subway platform.
Alameda County Superior Court Judge James Cramer said Tuesday that John Lee Cowell will face trial starting in January in the stabbing death of Nia Wilson, 18, in July 2018, KPIX-TV reported. Cowell has been charged with murder and attempted murder in connection with the unprovoked attack on Wilson and her sister, Letifah, 26, who was wounded.Advertisement
At a hearing Monday, Cramer said Cowell was not cooperating with doctors appointed last month to evaluate him. The judge said he understood that Cowell has a history of mental illness, but doctors who had previously examined him felt he was “malingering” to avoid trial. Wilson’s death was one of several violent or fatal attacks on Bay Area Rapid Transit lines that connect San Francisco to Berkeley, Oakland and other cities.Prosecutors have said they will seek a life sentence against Cowell. They are investigating whether Cowell, who is white, was motivated by racial hate when he killed Wilson, who was black.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Hotel Bel-Air unfairly refused to rehire workers after renovation, judge rulesFollowing a two-year shutdown, hotel administrators came up with 'bogus' reasons not to rehire many former union workers, an administrative law judge ruled.
Read more »
McConnell doesn't rule out witnesses in standoff over Trump impeachment trialThe standoff over President Trump’s impeachment trial continued Monday, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi repeating her demand for a “fair” trial before sending the two articles of impeachment to the Senate majority leader, while the two parties dug in on their conditions.
Read more »
McConnell says he's not ruling out witnesses in impeachment trialSenate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he is not ruling out witnesses in President Trump's impeachment trial, but indicated he was in no hurry to seek new testimony either.
Read more »
Nancy Pelosi delays Trump Senate impeachment trial to her credit — and her perilOpinion: Nancy Pelosi is not required to sit back and watch Mitch McConnell violate the Constitution’s core commitment to fair trials under the rule of law.
Read more »
In win for Uber, judge strikes down New York City's cruising capA New York state judge on Monday ruled in favor of Uber Technologies Inc in a la...
Read more »