On Friday, the man accused of killing his wife and five young children in Collier County in 2009 will be in a court trying to prove he can represent himself at his murder trial. It's what Mesac Damas has been asking for since his arrest shortly after the murders, when police tracked him down in Haiti.
Since the first official request to represent himself in a 2011 hearing was denied by a judge due to questions about his competency in handling the proceedings, Damas' case has progressed slowly for eight years. His representation has lacked stability, as public defender assignments changed, Florida's death penalty has been challenged, and Damas himself made a trip to a state mental hospital.
Now the case has reached the point of a Faretta Inquiry, a hearing held when a defendant demands self-representation. The hearing will determine whether Damas understands law enough to make it through a trial.
Naples Daily News reporter Ryan Mills joins Gulf Coast Live to discuss his ongoing coverage of Damas' case, the likelihood of Damas getting his wish, and what happens next in his case.
