No trial delay asked in shooting at paper

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Attorneys for a man who killed five people at a Maryland newspaper said Friday that they will not seek a delay at this time for the second phase of his trial to determine whether he is not criminally responsible due to insanity for the attack nearly three years ago.

Lawyers representing Jarrod Ramos were given a Friday deadline by Judge Michael Wachs to request a postponement based on any objections they had to the covid-19 protocols that are expected to be in place for the jury trial, which is set to begin in June.

While attorneys are not now seeking a delay, they said they objected to some of the precautions that the judge said would likely be in effect.

For example, attorneys object to see-through barriers between Ramos and his lawyers that they say will impede their ability to talk to him during the proceedings.

“Defense counsel objects and awaits the court’s definitive ruling and is not asking for a postponement based upon this issue at this time,” attorneys Elizabeth Palan, Katy O’Donnell and Matthew Connell wrote.

Ramos, 41, pleaded guilty in October 2019 to all 23 counts he faced in connection with the attack on the Capital Gazette newsroom that killed John McNamara, Gerald Fischman, Wendi Winters, Rob Hiaasen and Rebecca Smith.

Ramos held a longtime grudge against the newspaper, which had written about Ramos pleading guilty to harassing a former high school classmate in 2011.