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Man Incompetent To Stand Trial For Robbing, Beating Store Clerk
July 2, 2012
A judge has declared a Cantonment man incompetent to stand trial for the January robbery of a convenience store and beating of the clerk.
Antoan Dekyl Fountain, 32, was charged with battery causing bodily harm, grand theft and robbery with a firearm for the January 7 holdup of the CMP Food Mart at the corner of North Highway 29 and Beck’s Lake Road in Cantonment.
After a psychological examination was complete, Judge Jan Shackelford declared that Fountain was incompetent and ordered him committed to the Department of Children and Families.
According to Escambia County Sheriff’s Office reports, Fountain was dressed in all black when he entered the store about 10:35 p.m., jumped over the counter and tried to get into the register. When Fountain was unable to open the register, he beat the clerk with a handgun to force him to open the cash drawer. Fountain then fled on foot in an unknown direction with about $300 in cash.
Fountain was busted after deputies received an anonymous tip that Fountain had been bragging about committing the robbery.
The clerk positively identified Fountain as the bandit from a photo lineup, according to an arrest report.
Pictured: The CMP Food Mart in Cantonment as seen a few hours before a January 7 robbery. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
32 Responses to “Man Incompetent To Stand Trial For Robbing, Beating Store Clerk”
In response to “Justice for Once”
State Hospital in Chattahoochee is where people who cut their mother’s head off and play basketball with it are committed. This is where the criminally insane are housed. When you’re sent to “The Hoochee” for competency training, these are your new friends and roommates. You can get shanked or raped just as easy at The Hoochee. Try talking a schizophrenic out of hurting you. This is why many of those claim they’re “insane” suddenly get sane and take their chances in court and a regular prison.
Judge Shackelford is a good judge – please wait until he is declared competent and see what the sentence is before bashing her for doing her job. She does not have the discretion to ignore a finding of incompetence by the shrinks. If you are going to replace anyone look at the Public Defender’s office – they are usually the ones that say they think someone is incompetent and waste money to have them evaluated by several shrinks-once the incompetence issue is raised I am not sure if she can ignore it or it would lead to a loss on appeal. Judge Shackelford sends a lot to prison and does not give second chances. I am sure that he will eventually receive the sanctions he is entitled to.
“Since you are all better, now we are going to punish you for something you did while we thought you were crazy”.
Sorry, I don’t think it works that way most of the time. I think mostly they are set free.
The protection of society is up to the “psychologists” at Lakeview Center? Scary.
REGARDING:
“This is the main reason I vote NO when ask if the judges should be retained in office. ”
Consider the alternative:
Experts determine the man is not competent to take part in his own defense but the judge ignores their findings. The man is tried and convicted. His lawyer is ethically bound to appeal on Constitutional grounds — that the man didn’t get a fair trial because he wasn’t able to participate in his own defense.
The appeals court looks at the evidence and agrees he did not get a fair trial. His conviction is overturned and he is released — still crazy and dangerous.
Would that be better than keeping him locked away until such time as he can be tried and lawfully convicted if guilty?
David for rulings which will stick
Wow.. I haven’t seen Antoan since high school but this definitely isn’t the person i remember.. And he wasn’t insane either.. He gets what he deserves.. No one should get robbed and beaten with a firearm.. Judge Shackelford needs to wake up..
That man is dangerous, pure and simple.
No. no. Incompetence is not a get out of jail free ticket. It is a ticket to a mental hospital, followed by a trial (or plea) after treatment and restoration to competence. And, the judge has no real input into whether a person is competent or not. Professional psychologists examine the person and report their findings to the judge who has to base their ruling on the opinions of the experts.
This is the main reason I vote NO when ask if the judges should be retained in office. The judges have an easy time of it. They do not have to pay for staff, office space, a law library and the other cost that lawyers have to cover. When the judgement was made that judges had to be lawyers was the day common sense was removed from the courtroom.
Cantonment Mom, What makes you think he is going to Chattahoocee? In reality he may only be confined to Lakeview for a shirt period of time. Depends on what the Doctor’s say. The State hospital is air conditioned, the patients are usually drugged enough to be somewhat comfortable. They are not housed the same as state inmates. I have worked at both. Chattahoocee and ACI. If given the choice I would take the hospital.
He was competent enough to dress in black,knew there was money in the drawer,had possesion of a hand gun.knew enough to beat the crap out of the clerk…competent enough to brag about “not knowing what he was doing?” Give me a break!!!I think he is competent enough to pay for his actions….
O.M.G!!! Since when can crackheads get told to be incompetent??? This really is disturbing knowing this is why so many violent crimes are committed cause they can talk there way out….SO SAD VERY SAD!!!
“Cantonment Mom on July 2nd, 2012 8:05 am” Please enlighten us as to how, ” state hospital is a much worse punishment than jail.”
Thats ridicoulous, !! Noone dresses in all black an robs someone and pistol whips themm, because theyy have phsycologicall issues, !! an anyone cann lie ann those exams, to get a CHECK FROM THE GOVERMENT
Sounds as if the judge is a bit incompetent, quit wasting taxpayer money, quit giving criminals a chance, put him in prison where he belongs. Too many bleeding hearts out there. These criminals are a plague on society…remove them.
How can he be incompetent?! He knew enough to commit this crime. I’m sure he wouldn’t have to try too hard to fake crazy.
How can one be judged imcompetent when he jumps over a counter, tries to get into the cash register and can’t, then beats the clerk. Not counting the other charges he’s been charged with over the years? I agree with Mike. He’ll be free in no time, to do it again or even worse!!!!!
He got off easy for a violent crime. I say he should still be charged for what he did; instead of getting off easy with the insane plea.
This “Incompetent” has been charged with a long list of crimes dating back to 1997. Everything from driving careless, drug possesion, battery on a law enforcement officer or firefighter. One can see that his crimes are getting worse. So Judge, you allow him to be declared “incompetent” because you want to see how much worse his crimes will get? Just based on looking at his past one can easily see that from day 1 his “incompetency” is escalating.
Ray-there is no such thing.
DB-he did not get off “scott free” he will be sent to a state mental hospital-probably Chattahoochee, for “competence training”. When/if he is found to be competent in the future, he will then stand trial. He will not be on the streets until he stands trial. It’s amazing how many of these “incompetent” people all of a sudden get competent after a month or so at a state hospital. In so many ways it is a much worse punishment than jail.
So this guy is a mental case who randomly robs and beats people? Fine…lock him away in a mental hospital for the rest of his life so we don’t have to worry about him doing it again!
Don’t Forget!
Remember this travesty when Shakelford is up for reelection !!!!
I would say it is time to get rid of the judge’s who let criminals off. This street thug knew what he was doing and got off scott free.
I agree with Charlie W.
If this criminal does not know or realize the consequences of his actions, they will be repeated. His peers will be wiser to the system, or lack thereof, as well.
Someone here is incompentent and I think her name is shackleford.
Need to change the ruling to guilty by reason of insanity. They when they are cured they can start serving their sentence.
This is sad miscarraige of justice,remember that juges name JAN SHACKLEFORD
Come election time Residents do your JOB !!!!!!!!
Pack heat – and drop the next “incompetent” criminal in his tracks with a well-placed center mass hit or head shot…save us all a bunch of money and rid society of sociopaths…
When this guy robs and kills someone next time he will be able to get away with it. He was never declared incompitent for his previous crimes.
Hmm, beat the store clerk & the system, smarter than your average criminal. Knew just what to say (or write down?) on psyche evaluations. Easier than hard labor in prison, still, probably won’t be a very pleasant time for him. Problem is, they will pronounce him “cured” in a few months he will be back on the streets.
What a crock he was competent enough to rob and beat the clerk with an gun and later brag about it. What are you waiting on judge for him to kill the next person he robs.
I agree with (concerned res)…he knew enough to run away…so that tells me he knew he was doing wrong…..
incompetent to stand trial but compentent enough steal and beat an innocent person and run away with money.