Mental-competence ruling expected Wednesday in Germantown SEPTA assault case

The next step in Cassie Darby’s alleged assault case will remain a mystery for at least another few days.

Darby, 49, was arrested in May in connection to an attack that unfolded on a SEPTA Route 23 bus in Germantown.

The incident, which was captured by surveillance cameras, shows a woman repeatedly hitting a seated male passenger over the head.

NewsWorks freelance photographer Bas Slabbers was the victim.

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The back story

To date, Darby has undergone two psychiatric evaluations to determine if she is competent to stand trial.

The first, completed in late August, deemed Darby competent. The second, completed in mid-October, came back with a not competent result.

A status hearing was scheduled for Friday to reveal the status of Darby’s current mental state. The report, however, was not available.

What’s next?

The results are now scheduled to be revealed Nov. 21.

David Ayers, mental health coordinator for the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, said Darby’s most recent meeting with her lawyer indicated that she may be competent.

“If the defendant is found competent for that listing, I believe the [public defender] is going to be requesting some kind of an offer or non-trial disposition,” said Ayers. “We’ll have to wait for that report to see what the doctor recommends.”

If that’s the case, the proceedings could potentially come to a close during next week’s court date.

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