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Defense Wants More Details In Capital Gazette Shooting Case

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) — Lawyers for accused mass murderer, Jarrod Ramos, say they are not getting the information they need from the Anne Arundel County State's Attorney.

Ramos is charged with murdering five people after opening fire in the newsroom of the Capital Gazette in June 2018.

 

Police said he had a grudge against the newspaper after they covered a harassment case against him and that he even made death threats against journalists online.

 

Gerald Fischman, Rob Hiaasen, John McNamara, Rebecca Smith, Wendi Winters lost their lives in the attack.

 

Defense attorneys say the law mandates prosecutors provide more detail to them in what is called a "Bill of Particulars." They say that detail will help them decide whether to enter a plea of not criminally responsible by reason of insanity.

 

"The issue is not whether Mr. Ramos suffers from mental illness, but whether that mental illness is the nexus of his criminal conduct," said defense attorney Caitlin O'Donnell. "If the conduct is irrational, that would go more toward [not criminally responsible]."

The lawyers declined to answer questions from reporters and left through a back entrance of the courthouse. Shortly afterward, sheriff's deputies placed Ramos in a van and drove him back to jail.

The state's attorney also did not comment outside the courtroom but her team told Judge Laura Ripken prosecutors have gone above and beyond what the law requires to provide information to the defense.

Ripken says she will rule on these latest issues on March 11th.

Among the other revelations in court are that Ramos called 911 from the newsroom the day of the shooting.

Defense attorneys also said he spent four hours providing handwriting samples in the case.

Authorities believe Ramos wrote several letters he mailed the day of the attack to various officials including a Baltimore City judge.

The defense said in recent days prosecutors provided them with videotaped interviews from survivors and autopsy results for the victims.

The case is set to go to trial in June after having been postponed several times.

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