The defense for a Jefferson County man accused of robbing Kitsap Bank in Sequim last year has requested an evaluation to determine whether he has diminished capacity.
At the Feb. 13 court hearing for Dale Allen Jaff, 58, his appointed defense attorney Alex Stalker requested an evaluation for Jaff in the Clallam County Jail to determine whether Jaff suffered a mental disease or defect including diminished capacity and insanity at the time of his alleged crimes.
Judge Brent Basden agreed to the evaluation in Clallam County Superior Court and set Jaff’s trial to begin on June 1.
A hearing was set for 1 p.m. Friday, May 8.
Jaff, of Port Hadlock, is accused of robbing Sequim’s Kitsap Bank on April 9 last year. He pleaded not guilty in mid-May to felony charges of robbery in the first degree, theft in the second degree, and assault in the second degree.
Restoration pending for Parrish
In order to stand trial for the alleged attempted premeditated first-degree murder of her two young sons, a Sequim woman has once again been sent to have her competency restored.
Ekaterina A. Parrish, 47, was arrested on Dec. 13, 2022 after she allegedly drove her children down an embankment on the 200 block of Hillside Drive in Sequim with the vehicle rolling over.
Her sons sustained minor injuries in the wreck, and one boy, then 9, told a 911 dispatcher that his mother intentionally tried to kill them, court documents state.
Parrish’s defense attorney John Hayden requested she receive competency restoration on Jan. 16 after she was deemed competent and able to assist in her defense for a trial a week prior.
However, Hayden and Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Michele Devlin agreed that another evaluation of Parrish’s competency was needed due to recent circumstances that they did not elaborate on.
According to a Feb. 3 “Inpatient Forensic Evaluation Service Competency Evaluation,” Department of Social and Health Services staff wrote that Parrish meets diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder and likely meets criteria for borderline personality disorder. Due to those issues, staff believe she lacks the capacity to assist in her defense and they recommended her restoration.
Judge Simon Barnhart agreed to a 90-day restoration timeline for Parrish on Feb. 4. Her competency review hearing is set for 9 a.m. Friday, May 1.
Parrish has been restored to competency to assist in her own defense twice before during incarceration for the alleged charges, according to court documents.
