With a competency hearing now held, a Roanoke Rapids man charged federally with crimes in Northampton County is scheduled for arraignment in New Bern on December 14, according to court records.
Documents pertaining to the case of Michael Christopher Harris show a competency hearing was held last week in Wilmington before Magistrate Judge Robert B. Jones Jr.
The documents available for public inspection only say that the government and defense offered sworn testimony regarding Harris’s competency and that the court would take the arguments under advisement and issue a decision through a written order.
G. Alan DuBois, the public defender representing Harris said in a motion filed earlier this year he “continues to have concern regarding Mr. Harris’s competency, and needs to consult with additional experts to determine the extent of damage caused to Mr. Harris’ brain when he sustained a gunshot wound to his head on April 3, 2019.”
A sealed psychiatric report was filed with the court in November of 2019 but other than the public defender’s concern that more study was needed, there is nothing contained in the case file that speaks to the results of the evaluation which was conducted at the Federal Detention Center in Miami.
Harris was indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts in November of 2019.
In count 1 the grand jury charged he possessed ammunition while previously being convicted of a crime.
In count 2 the grand jury charged he possessed a firearm and ammo knowing he was a convicted felon.
The federal indictment warrants stem from two separate shooting investigations that took place in Northampton County on November 21 of 2018 and April 3 of 2019.