The Suspect in A Shooting Spree Asks the Judge if He Can Defend Himself!
Shane James, Jr., the man accused of a multi-county shooting spree last December, made his first appearance in Travis County court. During the proceedings, James surprised the court by requesting to represent himself, citing disagreements with his current legal team.
James’ lawyer, Russell Hunt, Jr., expressed concern over this sudden decision, which he said appeared to have been made within the last 24 hours. Hunt strongly advised against the idea, emphasizing that it was not in James’ best interest to go without professional legal representation.
When James entered the 147th Travis County Criminal District Court, his appearance had noticeably changed since his mugshot was taken eight months ago.
Standing before the judge, James stated, “I want to represent myself,” explaining that his attorneys, Michael Watson and Russell Hunt, had been making decisions without his consent.
James felt that his legal team was not respecting his wishes. “I asked them to work with me, through me. They would show me first what they were doing, and they said no,” he told the court.
Hunt explained that in legal cases like this, it is common for attorneys to make critical decisions, such as which experts to hire, which witnesses to interview, and how to interact with prosecutors, without needing to seek approval from their client each time. According to Hunt, this is standard procedure in handling a case.
One major point of contention between James and his attorneys was their request for a mental competency evaluation, which James refused to undergo. He argued, “I thought it was unnecessary, it’s unfounded, it’s baseless, there’s no reason for it, and they told me that they don’t believe I’m competent.”
Hunt acknowledged that it is not unusual for individuals who may be mentally incompetent to deny needing psychiatric help. “In cases where a person may be mentally incompetent, it’s not at all unusual for that person not to believe that they’re mentally incompetent,” he noted.
Judge Clifford Brown responded to James’ request by informing him that if he wished to represent himself, a competency evaluation would be mandatory.
Judge Brown advised James to work through his attorneys and cooperate with the expert psychologist they had retained. He added that the matter could be addressed further once the evaluation was complete.
Shane James, Jr. is currently facing multiple serious charges in Travis County, including four counts of capital murder, two counts of attempted capital murder, and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Additionally, he faces two capital murder charges and three family violence misdemeanors in Bexar County. Authorities believe James began his violent spree in San Antonio, where he allegedly killed his parents, before driving to Austin.