Zachery H. Bynum tries to fire his lawyer David Arcuri after Arcuri asks a judge to have Bynum evaluated by mental health specialists.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The Packwood man who allegedly kidnapped his young woman friend – first forcing her up a logging road and then dragging her out of the Glenoma grocery, both while armed with a machete – won’t be seeing a judge again anytime soon.
Zachery H. Bynum’s mental stability is in question.
A judge signed an order for the 41-year-old to be evaluated at Western State Hospital to determine if he’s competent enough to understand the court proceedings he’s involved in.
“And, that his mental disease, if he has one, or his mental status, is such that he can effectively assist his lawyer,” defense attorney David Arcuri said.
Bynum was arrested at gunpoint at the end of a police pursuit on July 16 after he allegedly forced 22-year-old Hesper Barker of Morton to flee a deputy in her truck. Court documents state the events of that day came after Barker met with Bynum to tell him she could not see him any more.
He remains held in the Lewis County Jail on $250,000, charged with 12 counts, including first-degree kidnapping and second-degree assault.
He was in court on Thursday to be arraigned, but that can’t be done unless he’s found competent.
Family members from Packwood, Seattle and Eastern Washington traveled to attend the hearing in support of him.
“Everyone just wants help for him, that’s all,” his sister Lela Bynum said. “The episode that happened, it’s not his personality, it’s not who he is.
“They’re just that, they’re episodes.”
Bynum’s father and step mother live in Packwood. He lives with a friend and helps take care of horses and the farm, according to Trish Schmid who said she raised him from the time he was 9 years old. The sheriff’s office described him as a homeless person when he was arrested.
He has a prior felony conviction for second-degree assault from 1994 and several misdemeanor convictions for domestic violence and harassment, according to prosecutors.
His 19-year-old daughter saw him for the first time in a decade in the courtroom last week.
“The last time I saw him, I was on the stand, testifying against him,” Tawnee Bynum said.
One of his his priors is a fourth-degree assault from 2003 in which she was the victim, at age 10, she said. A no contact order kept them apart, and she only recently learned it had expired.
Her father looked like he was about to cry when he realized who she was and that she was there, she said.
“When I mouthed I love you to him, he had the biggest smile on his face,” she said.
Tawnee Bynum didn’t go into any detail about the past, only saying she and her sister both want their father to get better.
When Bynum was first to go before a judge, he refused. The following day, when he did appear, temporary defense attorney Bob Schroeter apologized to the judge, saying his client had significant mental health issues.
Arcuri, who was then appointed to represent him because he is indigent, said he spoke with Schroeter and met with his new client in the jail and concluded he had a duty to get an evaluation done by experts at the state mental hospital.
Bynum vigorously disagreed with Arcuri’s request to the judge and told him he was fired. Judge Nelson Hunt signed the order, because a defendant can’t even make that decision unless he or she is competent, according to Arcuri.
A review hearing is scheduled for Aug. 8.
If Bynum is found competent, he can be then arraigned, according to Arcuri. If he is not found competent, the hospital can keep him while it “restores competency” something that is sometimes done with medication, Arcuri said.
Zachery H. Bynum recognizes his daughter in the courtroom whom he hasn’t seen in 10 years.
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For background, read “Lawyers: Mentally disturbed Packwood man kidnapped woman friend” from Thursday July 18, 2013, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Oh i can hear the banjo music playing now lewiscountysocietysucks.
The first comment about perscription drugs being the same as street drugs, are you seriously saying that lets say your valtrex perscription is the equivalent of smoking crack? On that note you shouldnt need a glass stem and brillo to take valtrex. You mention that” Bynum is actually a very, very intelligent person, one with multiple talents, and worldly knowledge.” Well this is obvious. I mean it takes a true intelect to drag around a girl 4 years older than his daughter with a knife and make death threats and get into highspeed chases and beg for suicide by cop. Now that being said, i wanted to point out how unbiased you are being when pointing out the victim as being a “so called victim”. Obviously no partiality. There, i mean hell i would probably need a mental evaluation after a guy that looks like bobcat goldthwait let himself go commited 12 crimes against me. I mean with her shady background i bet she doesnt even crash around the woods with a machette like those that have a true worldly knowlege do.if she was only lucky enought to have father with multiple talents like driving at high speed, kinapping skills, verbal threatening skills, and violent assault credentials like bynum has she may not have grown up so sketchy and she may have been out draggin some fool around the woods herself, but ot would be to easy for her because that fool would have to be 4 for the comparrison to stick and also describe the age of the last person to comment before me’s iq and emotional age all in ine fell swoop.
Another thing, the courts should maybe look real closely at the so called victim in this case. Her back ground is also very questionable. Maybe she too should be required to have a “mental evaluation.”
I have to agree whole heart with, sumthin2say. Bynum is obviously competent enough to know that his court appointed pretender is not looking after his own best interest. If Bynum was trying to get one over on the courts he would have been alright with Acuri’s decision of Western State Eval. I don’t think that putting anyone on prescription drugs is any better than a person on street drugs. I think that the courts just want a defendant that will be easier to control, and not fight back. Bynum is actually a very, very intelligent person, one with multiple talents, and worldly knowledge. The courts are actually under experienced when it comes to intelligence.
This site is not biased in favor of the courts in Lewis County.
HOWEVER…..
The courts will create fake names and start arguments with you in their own interests on here. So beware of people with strange names pretending to be disinterested 3rd parties, who seem to agree with everything the courts do.
Hateful little trolls they are too.
is this website bias in favor of the courts or what? should i be afraid to speak freely?
This is his defense lawyer. Not a court commentary panel or a court reporter. That is the point.
Court appointed means lawyer of the court. A pretender. A fraud. Justice cannot be served in lewis county. Fair trial? His lawyer just threw him under the bus. Arcuri was fired and the court ignored bynums request. On the account that arcuri shreeked insanity and took away his right to a fair and speedy trial. Or even make the choice of a lawyer that would make decisions in his best interest. He fired him because he knew arcuri was taking away his right to a fair trial.
This public pretender giving the public a lesson “in psychotic meds” in trail competency in his remarks on the case and how it works shows the true arrogance of the system; a stab at due process. He knows exactly what hes doing. If he was insane and still wanted to fire his lawyer what would be wrong with that? Atleast hes aware of whos fighting for his best interest and not the courts. That is the point.
“SOMETIMES competency can be restored.”
Give Arcuri anti-psychotics STAT!!!!
That is a problem with some forms of mental illness. While taking meds people are competent and pose no danger. The meds make them feel better and they stop taking them and the end result is not good. Mental illness is a scary thing.
Are you sure you are not the one who is incompetent? Or maybe illiterate?
If you read it again, and correctly this time, he said SOMETIMES competency can be restored.
why is his own lawyer (public defender) suggesting he could be competent with meds? shouldnt he be trying to get him off the charges? Acuri is the one who is incompetent. Maybe he could be found competent if he was on meds or maybe if he would get out from under the judges desk.