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Newsroom Shooter Asks Time for Insanity Defense

Jarrod Ramos
mug shot
Jarrod Ramos

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Lawyers for a man charged with killing five people at a Maryland newspaper office are again asking for more time to consider an insanity defense.

Attorneys on Thursday asked for 60 to 90 days longer to consider filing a plea of not criminally responsible by reason of insanity. A judge previously had set a Friday deadline for Jarrod Ramos to change his plea of not guilty.

His lawyers wrote in court filings that prosecutors have provided "overwhelming and seemingly boundless" discovery materials, only in the past four weeks. They say they need to review those materials.

They also say they're entitled to seek expert opinion of a qualified mental health expert who has had access to relevant court materials to decide whether to enter a plea of not criminally responsible.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.