The Milwaukee Civil Rights Lawyers of Samster, Konkel & Safran Report on an Unexpected Development in the Criminal Trial for the Murder of Darius Simmons

Posted on

Just like the similarities between the shooting of Darius Simmons by John H. Spooner and the shooting of Travon Martin by George Zimmerman, because both shootings involved criminal profiling and may have been racially motivated, the trials of Mr. Zimmerman and Mr. Spooner are developing in a similar fashion.

During the trial of George Zimmerman, a defense lawyer objected when the judge asked Mr. Zimmerman if he would testify during the trial. The exchange between the judge and Mr. Zimmerman’s lawyer became one of the most memorable moments of the trial.

Today, the trial of John H. Spooner took an unexpected turn when the judge asked Mr. Spooner whether he was going to testify during the second phase of the trial, where the jury must determine whether Mr. Spooner suffered from a mental disease or defect at the time he shot Darius Simmons. Although Mr. Spooner’s lawyer initially indicated to the Court that M. Spooner did not intend to testify, the Court then questioned Mr. Spooner on that issue, whereby Mr. Spooner exhibited extreme agitation and indicated that he wanted to make a statement. After further consultation between Mr. Spooner and his lawyers, Franklyn Gimbel, one of the lawyers for Mr. Spooner, told the Court that he and his defense team did not believe that Mr. Spooner was competent to continue with the trial. Mr. Gimbel requested, and the Court eventually agreed that the best alternative was to order a mental evaluation of Mr. Spooner to determine his competency. The trial will re-convene this afternoon, hopefully after Mr. Spooner’s mental evaluation. Please continue to follow our website and our blog for updates on the trial.

The Milwaukee civil rights attorneys of Samster, Konkel & Safran represent Patricia Larry, the mother of Darius Simmons, in her lawsuit against John H. Spooner for the wrongful death of her son.

Get in touch with us today to get started with your FREE case review. We’re only a call, click, or short drive away.