An Oakland murder trial was underway, but then defense attorney questioned his client’s mental competency

OAKLAND — Criminal proceedings against an East Bay man were suspended just days into his murder trial, after he made a verbal outburst that caused his lawyer to openly doubt his mental competency, court records show.

Charles Beal, 32, was on trial last week on charges of murdering 33-year-old Ukono Hall in a shooting that police say was motivated by a love triangle. Beal’s lawyer, Todd Bequette, was cross-examining an Oakland police evidence technician when Beal made a “verbal outburst” and demanded a new lawyer, according to the minute order for the Sept. 27 court hearing.

Later in the hearing, Bequette formally declared a doubt to Beal’s mental competency for trial. The move freezes legal proceedings at least until medical professionals can evaluate Beal. If he’s found incompetent for trial, he’ll almost certainly be ordered transferred to a mental institution so doctors can “restore” his competency.

Hall was fatally shot 11 p.m. June 25 outside an apartment on the 5400 block of Bancroft Avenue in Oakland. Prosecutors say that Beal shot him once in the chest and once in the back, a week after having threatened Hall not to come to the apartment complex to visit a woman they were both dating.

At Beal’s June 27 preliminary hearing, Hall’s relative testified that they were together when Hall was killed, and that he’d heard rumors that Hall had a $3,000 bounty placed on his head. He also testified that he went for his own gun and fired back at Beal, but missed him.

The defense didn’t argue against the charges at the preliminary hearing, but Bequette filed paperwork indicating he wanted to impeach Hall’s relative’s identification of Beal, using the witness’ decades-old assault and domestic violence convictions.