Court Watching: Raymond Bailey to get independent evaluation before murder exam

Raymond Lee Bailey, 37, of Wyandotte was scheduled for a probable cause conference on Jan. 20 before 34th District Court Judge Lisa Martin and he was present by Zoom from the Wayne County Jail where he is being held without bond.
Bailey is charged with the Aug. 15 shooting deaths of four victims in a home on Martinsville Road in Sumpter Township. He has been held since his arrest on Aug. 19.
He was present before Judge Martin via Zoom on Jan. 13 where Prosecutor Tara Hindelang said that the Forensic Center released a report saying Bailey was competent to stand trial.
But Bailey’s appointed defense attorney Sharon Clark Woodside said the Forensic Center had yet to send reports on criminal responsibility and competency to waive Miranda. Judge Martin gave the attorneys a week to check on the status of the other reports.
On Jan. 20 defense attorney Woodside said she finally got the competency report and a report on criminal responsibility. She said she would stipulate to competency to stand trial, but disputes the other report saying he is criminally responsible.
She said she will ask for an independent evaluation for her client on the criminal responsibility. She said she would like it done before the preliminary exam.
Judge Martin said the district court doesn’t authorize independent evaluations and Woodside said the state provides experts without authorization of the court.
Judge Martin said she will sign an order that the defendant is competent to stand trial. She asked how long Woodside needed to get her independent evaluation and she said it probably would be two months.
Judge Martin said she does not have court dates for that far and asked them to come back in a month for the probable cause conference so they could “stay on track.”
The probable cause conference was set for 11 a.m., Feb. 24, before Judge Martin.
On Sept. 16, Judge Tina Brooks Green referred Bailey to the Forensic Center for evaluation for competence, criminal responsibility, and waiver of Miranda.
Prosecutor Hindelang said the examiner at the Forensic Center signed a report on Dec. 21 that said Bailey was competent to stand trial and participate in his defense. She said on Jan. 12, the same examiner also signed an order that Bailey was criminally responsible and does not meet the defense of insanity.
Bailey is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and four charges of felony firearm in the shooting deaths of sisters Laura Tanner, 35, and Sarah Grupa, 38, and their cousins, brothers Forrest Sampson, 28, and Neil Sampson, 30. Laura Tanner was Bailey’s former fiancé and the murders took place at her home.