Shannon Miles has already been found incompetent to stand trial for the murder of Harris County Deputy Darren Goforth. Under the law, that means he’ll be committed to a state psychiatric facility until he’s found competent. But the problem is that a space has to become available before he can be transferred.
State Senator John Whitmire says he wants to put Miles’ transfer on the fast track, but defense attorney Anthony Osso says he doesn’t want Miles to leave Harris County while he’s still gathering psychiatric records to be used in his defense.
“I think it’s like any medical procedure where you’re seeking a second opinion,” says Osso. “I think it’s important that you have a complete set of medical records for the experts to review.”
Whitmire has said he wants to expedite the transfer because of concerns over Miles’ safety in the Harris County Jail. But Osso questions why an elected lawmaker is getting involved in the case.
“Mr Miles has been in the Harris County Jail since his arrest in late August of last year,” Osso explains. “And we haven’t heard from any agencies or any other politicians that were concerned about his safety for the past five-and-a-half months.”
A judge has now delayed Miles’ transfer for at least two weeks and it’s expected he could stay in the Harris County Jail even longer. Miles is accused of shooting and killing Goforth in the parking lot of a northwest Harris County gas station last summer.