A Baltimore man accused of setting a January rowhouse fire that investigators say started in several spots is now at the center of a courtroom fight over his mental state, with a key hearing set for Aug. 3.
Jacques D. Alsup, 58, is charged with attempted murder and arson in connection with a Jan. 8 blaze on the 400 block of N. Luzerne Avenue that left him hospitalized. He remains held while the court decides what to do about a not-criminally-responsible (NCR) evaluation requested by his own defense lawyer and openly opposed by Alsup himself.
During a July 2 appearance in Baltimore City Circuit Court reception court, defense attorney Marci Johnson told Judge Melissa M. Phinn she had filed the NCR evaluation on Alsup's behalf, saying she believed it was in his best interest even though she did not think he was mentally incompetent or unable to tell right from wrong. Alsup objected to the evaluation in open court, prompting Judge Phinn to set a new pre-trial conference for Aug. 3 to sort out the NCR issue and broader scheduling. According to Baltimore Witness, additional details about the evaluation are expected to surface at that hearing.
Court records show Alsup was indicted on two counts each of attempted first- and second-degree murder, along with one count each of first- and second-degree arson, in Baltimore City Circuit Court under case number C-24-CR-26-000740. The indictment was filed in February, per the Maryland Courts Cases Filed Report.
Investigators told authorities the fire started from multiple points inside the rowhouse, including the living room, kitchen, a second-floor hallway, and a portable closet, and reported that officers found the stove left on so that gas could escape. A resident said they saw Alsup pour an unknown liquid onto the stove before it was ignited. Firefighters rescued Alsup from an upstairs room and took him to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, where he later regained consciousness and was admitted to the intensive care unit. Investigators estimated about $35,000 in structural and property damage, and two other people in the home were not injured, according to Baltimore Witness.
What A "Not Criminally Responsible" Evaluation Could Mean
In Maryland, a not-criminally-responsible evaluation looks back at the defendant's mental state at the time of the alleged crime and is legally different from deciding whether someone is competent to stand trial. State law and court precedent say a person may be found not criminally responsible if, because of a mental disorder, they lacked substantial capacity either to appreciate the criminality of their conduct or to conform their conduct to the law. If ordered, the court can require mental health examinations and then use those findings in a bifurcated process to decide criminal responsibility. See the Maryland Court of Appeals' discussion in State v. Garnett for the statutory framework and procedures.
The Aug. 3 pre-trial conference is set to be a pivotal checkpoint. Prosecutors will get their first real chance to respond to the NCR evaluation, and the court will decide whether to order psychiatric testing or instead lock in deadlines for motions and trial. Until then, Alsup remains in custody as the case continues through Baltimore City Circuit Court and the NCR process plays out.
