The Garden City Telegram
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Hearing continued in murder case
Published 4/22/2009 in Local News : Police
By SHAJIA AHMAD
A preliminary hearing in the case of a 17-year-old Garden City boy accused of murdering a 16-year-old Deerfield girl has been continued, and further mental health evaluations ordered, following a hearing at the Finney County District Courthouse this morning.
Joaquin Deanda will undergo a competency evaluation at the Larned State Hospital, District Court Judge Michael Quint ruled at the request of his defense attorney, Melanie Freeman-Johnson.
Freeman-Johnson, a member of the Kansas Death Penalty Defense Unit in Topeka, was appointed by the court as Deanda's new attorney during today's hearing, at the request of the Public Defender's Office.
Prosecutors have said they will not be seeking a death penalty if Deanda's case goes to a jury trial because Kansas law does not allow juveniles to face capital punishment.
Deanda was certified as an adult during a March 20 hearing based on his age and the seriousness of the charges. At that time, District Court Judge Richard Hodson also ruled that Deanda was competent to stand trial based on the results of area mental health evaluations during his juvenile court proceedings. Deanda previously was represented by Oakley attorney Doug Spencer.
Deanda was arrested Dec. 21, 2008, on allegations of first-degree murder, rape, aggravated criminal sodomy and felony obstruction of legal process in connection with the death of Julia Quintana, whose body was found in a Dumpster on Dec. 16 in the west alley behind Deanda's residence at 1009 N. Fourth St.
Evidence from an autopsy disclosed that Quintana died of suffocation, sustained a broken neck and was sexually assaulted, police said.
Deanda, a former classmate of Quintana's at the New Outlook Academy, 1401 Jones Ave., is being held at the Finney County Jail. Police said the two individuals were acquaintances at school.
Further competency evaluations could take a few months, attorneys said, and a status conference has been scheduled for May 26. A preliminary hearing date could be scheduled at that time.
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