Texas shooting spree suspect asks to represent himself

AUSTIN, Texas – On Friday morning, a man accused of a multi-county shooting rampage in December appeared in Travis County court for the first time. Shane James, Jr. asked the judge if he could represent himself after a disagreement with his attorneys.

James’ attorney, Russell Hunt, Jr., said this was an unexpected development that appears to have come within the past 24 hours. He said it was a terrible idea for James to represent himself.

James walked into the 147th Travis County Criminal District Court looking significantly different from his mugshot from eight months ago.

“I want to represent myself,” James told the court. He says his attorneys, Michael Watson and Hunt, are doing things without his consent.

“I asked them to work with me, through me, they would show me first what they were doing, and they said no,” James said.

“In terms of making decisions about what experts are going to be hired, what witnesses are interviewed, what records are interviewed, interacting with prosecutors, that’s all stuff the lawyers do and the lawyers don’t need to get clearance from the clients to approach the case in that way,” Hunt said.

Hunt said they requested James receive a mental competency check, and he refused.

“I thought it was unnecessary, it’s unfounded, it’s baseless, there’s no reason for it and they told me that they don’t believe I’m competent,” James said.

“In cases where a person may be mentally incompetent, it’s not at all unusual for that person not to believe that they’re mentally incompetent, not to believe that they need any kind of psychiatric help. That’s not unusual,” James said.

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Judge Clifford Brown told James if he wanted to represent himself, he would have to have a competency evaluation regardless.

“What I’m going to suggest to you is that you work through your attorneys, and you speak with the expert psychologist that they have retained, and we can address that in the future,” Judge Brown said.

James currently faces four capital murder charges, two attempted capital murder charges, and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Travis County. He also faces two capital murder charges and three family violence misdemeanors in Bexar County. Police said James killed his parents in San Antonio before driving to Austin and killing four more people and injuring two police officers and a cyclist in December.

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“He’s in jail. He’s charged with terrible crimes. He does have a history of psychiatric disturbances,’ Hunt said. ‘The guy’s in a terrible spot, and he’s trying to do what he can to control his situation.”

If James is found incompetent, this case could be delayed for years until he receives treatment in the state hospital. Hunt said James’ refusal of the mental competency check isn’t delaying the case at this point because attorneys are still gathering evidence.

James’ next hearing is set for October 10.