R.M. was informed of the purpose and nature of this evaluation, including that it was ordered by the court to address his competency to stand trial. He was advised of the limits of confidentiality, specifically that the results of this evaluation would be communicated to the court, the state attorney, and defense counsel in the form of a written report. R.M. was further advised that the information he provided could not be used against him on the issue of guilt. R.M. verbally agreed to proceed with the evaluation. R.M. verbally consented to the review of available records pertinent to this evaluation.
This evaluation was conducted on March 12, 2026, via Zoom videoconference. R.M. participated from a vehicle located in the parking lot of a convenience store. He stated he did not have access to a private indoor location at that time. The evaluation lasted approximately 75 minutes and consisted of a clinical interview focused on the legal standard for competency to stand trial. No standardized psychological tests, competency assessment instruments, or structured malingering/feigning measures were administered.
The following sources of information were reviewed in preparation for and as part of this evaluation:
R.M. reported that he has been diagnosed with Bipolar I Disorder with psychotic features and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He stated he has been hospitalized approximately four times for psychiatric reasons. The most recent hospitalization was approximately ten months ago at a facility in the Tampa area, which he described as lasting "about a week." He was unable to provide the specific name of the facility. Prior hospitalizations reportedly occurred during his twenties, though he was vague on dates and locations. R.M. reports being prescribed lithium carbonate and quetiapine (Seroquel) for the management of mood symptoms and hallucinations, and stated he has been on these medications "for a long time."
R.M. reported experiencing auditory hallucinations, which he described as "spiritual messages" from his ancestors. He stated that these experiences began in childhood and are consistent with his family's Caribbean spiritual traditions. He described hearing the voice of his deceased grandmother providing guidance, particularly during stressful periods. He denied command hallucinations. He also endorsed occasional visual experiences he described as "seeing shadows" in his peripheral vision.
Broward County Jail medical records from intake screening (January 2025) documented that R.M. reported a history of bipolar disorder and PTSD. He endorsed current auditory and visual hallucinations at intake. The jail nurse practitioner recorded an impression of adjustment disorder and continued his prescribed lithium and quetiapine at the reported dosages. No formal psychiatric evaluation was documented in the jail records.
Memorial Regional Hospital records from an August 2024 emergency department visit documented a chief complaint of chest pain with associated shortness of breath. R.M. was evaluated, underwent cardiac workup, and was discharged with a diagnosis of atypical chest pain. No mental health documentation, psychiatric consultation, or medication reconciliation related to psychiatric medications was found in these records.
R.M. reported a prior conviction for aggravated assault, for which he served approximately four years in the Florida Department of Corrections. He reported being released approximately eight years ago. The current charges of armed robbery and aggravated battery stem from an alleged incident in approximately 2019. R.M. reported that he was not arrested on the current charges until 2025, resulting in an approximately six-year delay between the alleged offense and the initiation of the current legal proceedings.
R.M. reported being born and raised in South Florida. He is of Caribbean descent and maintains close ties to his cultural and spiritual community. He completed the 11th grade and obtained his GED while incarcerated during his aggravated assault sentence. He reported sporadic employment in construction and warehouse work since his release. R.M. is unmarried and does not have children. He reported intermittent homelessness over the past two years.
R.M.'s mother, Ms. D.M., had previously contacted the Forensic Evaluation Service by telephone regarding a missed evaluation appointment. She reported at that time that R.M. was at a behavioral health crisis stabilization center and was unable to attend. This was the only contact with a family member documented during the evaluation process.
R.M. was scheduled for evaluation on three occasions prior to the completed evaluation. He did not attend any of these scheduled appointments. The first appointment was scheduled in March 2025, with subsequent appointments in June 2025 and October 2025. The court order for evaluation was issued in January 2025, and the evaluation was not completed until March 2026 — approximately fourteen months after the order was issued. The reasons for non-attendance were not documented except for the October 2025 appointment, for which R.M.'s mother reported he was at a crisis stabilization center.
R.M. presented to the evaluation via Zoom videoconference appearing alert and oriented to person, place, time, and situation. He was dressed in jail-issued clothing and appeared adequately groomed. His speech was notable for pressured quality and mild tangentiality; he occasionally required redirection to the question at hand. R.M. displayed no abnormal movements. His affect was labile, ranging from irritable to inappropriately jovial within short intervals. He described his mood as "ready to get this over with."
R.M. reported current auditory hallucinations during the interview, describing voices that provide spiritual guidance from ancestors. He was not observed responding to internal stimuli during the evaluation. Thought content was notable for some circumferential reasoning and loosely connected associations when discussing his legal situation and personal history. He was able to maintain the thread of conversation with periodic redirection. No homicidal or suicidal ideation was endorsed. R.M. denied current substance use.
R.M. was able to identify his charges as "robbery" and "battery — the serious kind." He stated, "They're saying I robbed somebody and hurt them." He correctly identified his defense attorney by name and stated the attorney's role was "to help me fight this." He identified the judge as "the one who runs the courtroom and makes the decisions." R.M. correctly identified the role of the state attorney as "the one trying to put me away." When asked about possible outcomes if convicted, R.M. stated he thought a conviction might result in "about twelve months" of imprisonment. He added, "I've been through the system before, I know how it works."
R.M. demonstrated a basic understanding of the adversarial nature of court proceedings. He was able to describe the function of a trial as "where they decide if you did it or not." He correctly identified the role of a jury as "the people who decide guilty or not guilty." When asked about plea options, R.M. stated he understood he could plead guilty or not guilty, and that "guilty means you admit it, not guilty means you fight it." He described the general sequence of a trial, including jury selection, opening statements, witness testimony, and closing arguments, though he was imprecise about the order of some steps. He demonstrated understanding that a guilty verdict could result in sentencing and that a not guilty verdict would result in his release.
R.M. stated he has met with his defense attorney on multiple occasions and was able to describe the substance of their conversations in general terms, noting that they have discussed "what happened that day" and "what the witnesses might say." He expressed a strong desire to proceed to trial and stated he did not want to "play crazy" or pursue an incompetency finding. He stated, "I'm not crazy, I just want my day in court." R.M. was able to narrate the circumstances surrounding the alleged offense, although some aspects of his account were inconsistent with the available police reports. He expressed willingness to work with his attorney on trial strategy and demonstrated understanding that his attorney's role is to advocate on his behalf.
R.M. denied any intent to exaggerate or fabricate symptoms. His insistence on proceeding to trial rather than pursuing an incompetency finding or insanity defense suggests he is not motivated to present himself as more impaired than he actually is. Individuals who are feigning psychiatric symptoms for litigation advantage typically seek to appear more impaired, not less. R.M.'s presentation was consistent in the opposite direction: he minimized his psychiatric history and resisted any characterization of himself as unable to participate in his defense.
The medical evidence is strong that R.M. has experienced mental health symptoms since at least 2024, based on the Broward County Jail intake documentation of self-reported hallucinations, his self-reported psychiatric treatment history, and his ongoing psychotropic medication management. This documented history argues against the possibility that current symptom reports are fabricated for litigation advantage.
R.M. self-reports diagnoses of Bipolar I Disorder with psychotic features and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The Broward County Jail intake records document his self-reported history of bipolar disorder and PTSD, and the jail nurse practitioner noted an impression of adjustment disorder. These records represent the only clinical documentation available for this evaluation beyond the current clinical interview.
Regarding psychotic symptoms: R.M. reports auditory and visual hallucinations that he describes as consistent with Caribbean spiritual traditions in his family. It is possible that these experiences represent culturally normative spiritual phenomena rather than pathological psychotic symptoms. Without additional collateral information, cultural consultation, or records from prior psychiatric hospitalizations, this differential cannot be definitively resolved.
Regarding PTSD: R.M. referenced trauma exposure in general terms but did not provide sufficient detail during this interview to assess whether full DSM-5-TR criteria for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder are met. He declined to elaborate on the nature of his trauma history.
Regarding the previously reported bipolar disorder: The available medical records reviewed for this evaluation — Broward County Jail intake records and Memorial Regional Hospital emergency department records — do not contain documentation of a formal bipolar disorder diagnosis, manic episodes, or mood cycling. The behavioral observations during this evaluation, while notable for pressured speech and labile affect, are not conclusive for an active manic or hypomanic episode.
Based on the available information, R.M. does not meet criteria for a DSM-5-TR diagnosis at this time.
Based on the totality of the information available, it is this evaluator's opinion, to a reasonable degree of psychological certainty, that R.M. is competent to stand trial at this time. R.M. demonstrated a factual and rational understanding of the nature of the charges against him and the legal proceedings, and he appears able to assist his defense attorney with a reasonable degree of rational understanding. This opinion is limited to R.M.'s competency at the time of the current evaluation.