Lawyer: Woman accused in toddler’s beating death not competent for trial
An Orange County woman accused of beating a 3-year-old boy to death is not competent to stand trial, her defense attorney said Monday.
Callene Barton, 58, faces the death penalty in the death of Xavier Mokarzel-Satchel. The child lived with his mother, Brandi Mokarzel; her girlfriend, Lakesha Lewis, who is also accused of murder; and Barton, Lewis’ mother.
Barton is charged with first-degree murder, witness intimidation, aggravated manslaughter and aggravated abuse.
Barton has already been evaluated by one doctor who found her incompetent to stand trial and recommended she be sent to Florida State Hospital. She refused to see another doctor who came to visit her at the Orange County Jail, Assistant Public Defender Robert Larr said Monday.
“She has good days and bad days, which is very consistent with someone who’s not competent,” Larr told Circuit Judge Marc Lubet. child “She is not eating; I don’t believe she’s taking her medication.”
Barton was not in court Monday. She told a corrections officer “she has no case, so she doesn’t need to go to court,” Lubet said, reading an email from the corrections officer in court.
“People who have good days and bad days sometimes are just angry or irritable too; it doesn’t mean they have mental competency issues,” Assistant State Attorney Ryan Williams said.
The same doctor Barton refused to see will try to evaluate her again next month, William said. Lubet said he would be open to appointing another mental health professional if necessary.
“Right now, if the report’s saying that she is incompetent, my hands are tied to go any further except to wait for another report, as you well know,” Lubet said.
Lubet set another status hearing in the case for June 29. Lewis has a status hearing the same day, and trial dates have not been set.
Brandi Mokarzel’s trial, on a charge of neglect of a child causing great bodily harm, is scheduled for late June.