A US man accused of killing his mother is seeking to fire his lawyers and represent himself, even though he’s facing a potential sentence of life in prison.
Grant DeGiacomo is charged with two counts of second-degree murder in connection with the death of his mother, Christine DeGiacomo. Police found her dead in July 2023 on Shoal Creek Road in Hudson.
According to the criminal complaint, Grant allegedly killed her by repeatedly hitting her in the head. An affidavit that may provide more details is still sealed.
Grant DeGiacomo was scheduled to accept a plea and be sentenced Thursday, per a negotiated resolution. Instead, he decided to withdraw from the deal, claiming he wanted to represent himself.
“He did not feel confident in his attorneys, despite the judge’s recommendation that representing oneself is never a good decision,” Assistant Attorney General Camden Bisson said.
DeGiacomo is seeking to become what legal experts call a “pro se” defendant, which they say is “exceedingly rare”, especially in high-level offence cases such as homicide.
In court, Judge Tina Nadeau asked DeGiacomo a series of questions known as a colloquy.
During questioning, she asked about his legal expertise, understanding of the state judicial system, and knowledge of the proceedings that would follow.
Above all, she stated that DeGiacomo, if his request is approved, would be treated as any other attorney.
“It’s in the similar vein of, if you need surgery, you go to a surgeon. You don’t try to do it yourself,” Bisson said.
Jesse O’Neill is a former prosecutor, practising law for over a decade.
He now works for McLane Middleton, covering a variety of cases.
While he’s seen few “pro se” cases, he doesn’t foresee the judge rejecting DeGiacomo’s request.
“So as long as the judge is satisfied that the defendant meets very minimum standards of competency and understanding, the judge will almost certainly permit him to represent himself,” he said.
A status conference will be scheduled for DeGiacomo, when the judge will determine whether to grant that request.
