2017 murder trial continued until January for this reason

Nick Watson, The Times, Gainesville, Ga.
·1 min read

Dec. 9—The murder trial set to start Monday for a 2017 North Hall shooting was delayed again after the defense raised the issue of its client's competency to stand trial.

A representative from Superior Court Judge Clint Bearden's office said the trial for Talon Lowery, 24, was continued after his attorneys renewed a plea of mental incompetency before jury selection Wednesday, Dec. 7.

Bearden has set a competency trial for Jan. 17, and the trial will go forward the next week if Lowery is deemed competent.

Lowery's trial is for the Nov. 2, 2017, shooting of Bryan Ramirez, 18, outside of a Cleveland Highway Texaco. Ramirez, an employee at the store, was taking a break outside when he was shot with a rifle by someone in a passing vehicle.

A Snapchat video of the shooting led authorities to identify Lowery as the suspect.

Lowery was deemed competent in September by Superior Court Judge Kathlene Gosselin following a formal hearing.

The Times reached out to defense attorneys Robert Rubin and Jeffrey Brickman, but they did not immediately return a call for comment.

Because it is a pending case, Northeastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney Lee Darragh declined to comment.