Shannon Miles remained in a solitary cell Wednesday afternoon at the Harris County Jail after his attorney attended a court hearing in his murder case.
His attorney, Anthony Osso, said Miles has been behaving oddly, and that could affect the way his case plays out. Miles is charged with killing Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Darren Goforth at a northwest Harris County gas station Aug. 28 while Goforth was pumping gas.
Miles did not appear at a court hearing Wednesday, but Osso told a judge his client is mentally unstable.
“I see issues involving episodial psychosis. Bipolar disorder is probably going to be a major issue,” said Osso.
Miles is staying in a solitary cell with no medication.
Miles rap sheet includes previous run-ins with the law.
In one of those cases, he was sent to a mental health facility. Osso said so far he hasn’t been able to explain everything to his client.
“Until I’m 100 percent certain that he understands what’s going on, especially his right to remain silent, I certainly wouldn’t want him to communicate or make any statement that could later be used against him,” Osso said.
The judge wanted to know if Miles is capable of aiding in his own defense.
If he’s found to be incompetent, he would be sent to a mental health facility until competency is restored, at which time the case would proceed to trial.
All of this could affect his sentencing if he’s found guilty of capital murder.
“If you’re found incompetent with no likelihood of gaining competency, then that creates problems for the state, because, as you all know, you cannot execute incompetent people,” Osso said.
Miles’ lawyer says the 70,000 documents turned over by prosecutors may help prove Goforth was meeting his alleged mistress the night he was killed, and the defense would argue Goforth wasn’t killed in the line of duty.
If Miles is found guilty, that could clear him of the death penalty.
