RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The man accused in the fatal shooting of a Virginia State Police special agent will have to undergo a mental health evaluation
Travis Ball is charged with capital murder in the death of Michael Walter. He was shot and killed while patrolling a Richmond public housing complex in May.
Ball was in court Tuesday as a judge heard a motion by his lawyers seeking to strike down a statute the defense said treats indigent defendants differently from defendants who can afford their own lawyer. Ball’s lawyer said the law requires a defendant represented by appointed counsel to undergo an evaluation by a mental health expert who must submit a report to the court.
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Richmond Circuit Court Judge Beverly Snukals denied the motion.
Ball’s trial is scheduled for next October.
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