![\"woman\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/TOP-L-competencyevals0501-01_fdc06d.jpg\")
Lindsay Abramson (photo provided)<\/p>\nNoah Ravenscroft stabbed his wife to death in 2017 inside their Commerce Township residence \u2014 while their three children were in the home.<\/p>\n
Isaias Porras killed his 15-month-old son by severe and ongoing beatings, then hid his body under a pile of blankets in a Farmington Hills motel room in 2021.<\/p>\n
Kelli Bryant allegedly left her two daughters and son to live alone for years in a filth-ridden Pontiac condominium with broken plumbing, reportedly forbidding contact with the outside world.<\/p>\n
These are a few of the hundreds of criminal cases in Oakland County from recent years which resulted in judicial referrals for psychiatric\/psychological evaluations to assess the defendants for criminal responsibility and competency to stand trial.<\/p>\n
And the evaluation orders are on the rise in the county \u2014 and statewide.<\/p>\n
Conducted at the state\u2019s Center for Forensic Psychiatry in Saline, assessments generate reports for judges to determine whether a mental disorder is a mitigating factor in a case and, if so, how to pursue justice as required by law.<\/p>\n
Criminal responsibility is determined by the defendant\u2019s ability to \u201cknow right from wrong\u201d at the time when a crime was committed, explained Lindsay Abramson, deputy chief public defender of Oakland County\u2019s public defender\u2019s office. An example would be someone afflicted with schizophrenia who commits a crime while off their prescribed medication, she said.<\/p>\n
To be competent for trial, a defendant must be mentally capable to assist in his or her defense in a rational manner, Abramson said. That includes demonstrated understanding of\u00a0 his or her rights, criminal charges he or she is facing, and the nature of the proceedings. If incompetent, the evaluator will assess whether or not the defendant is likely to have competency restored \u2014 through medication and\/or other intervention. Treatment at the CFP typically maxes out at 15 months; if necessary, the defendant can be transferred to another facility for continued treatment.<\/p>\n
Lindsay Abramson (photo provided)<\/p>\n
If a defendant is determined to be incompetent but not restorable \u2014 which Abramson said is rare \u2014 criminal charges are typically dismissed without prejudice, which gives prosecutors the option of refiling the case, sometimes depending on how much time has elapsed. But for homicides or other cases punishable by life in prison, there\u2019s no time limit for the prosecution to petition the court to refile charges.<\/p>\n
The assessments, also known as forensic evaluations, are conducted as ordered by judges, who either initiate them or act on request of a defense attorney or prosecutor. The defense and prosecution can challenge evaluators\u2019 opinions as to a defendant\u2019s competency or criminal responsibility, and petition the court for an independent assessment \u2014 but ultimately, the presiding judge has the final say.<\/p>\n
As explained by Lynn Sutfin, public information officer for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services \u2014 which manages the CFP \u2014 most evaluation orders are for felony cases, though they can be requested \u201cacross the full spectrum of criminal charges, from minor misdemeanor offenses to the most serious, violent felonies.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to MDHHS data, from 2021 to 2025 there was a 50% increase in forensic evaluation orders for Oakland County cases:<\/p>\n
\u2022 2021 \u2013 238 orders
\u2022 2022 \u2013 307 orders
\u2022 2023 \u2013 311 orders
\u2022 2024 \u2013 349 orders
\u2022 2025 \u2013 357 orders<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a similar trend seen statewide during the same years, where 17,543 evaluations \u2014 or an average of 3,508 per year \u2014 were ordered. This year, as of early April, the CFP had received 956 competency evaluation orders.<\/p>\n
The percentage of referrals for misdemeanor cases continues to rise, she added: In 2021, 12% of competency evaluation orders received by the CFP were for misdemeanor cases, while in 2025, 20% of the orders received were for misdemeanor cases.<\/p>\n
Sutfin said approximately 20% of criminal responsibility evaluations issued result in opinions of not guilty by reason of insanity, though \u201cthe number of defendants adjudicated NGRI remains low and relatively steady over the last several years.\u201d The opinion rate for incompetent to stand trial is approximately 33%. \u201cMisdemeanor cases are more likely to be opined incompetent\u201d \u2014 36%\u2014compared to competency exams for felony cases, at 28%.<\/p>\n
\u2018A right to evaluation, treatment\u2019<\/p>\n
CFP evaluations are conducted by psychiatrists and psychologists, while social workers are also utilized to conduct competency to stand trial evaluations. Sutfin said assessments typically include a \u201cdetailed clinical interview,\u201d review of medical and mental health records, police reports, jail information and sometimes psychological testing.<\/p>\n
Approximately 36 staff members are assigned to the CFP\u2019s evaluation department \u2014 some on a part-time basis. There are also four former employees contracted to conduct evaluations.<\/p>\n
By state law, assessment reports must be submitted to the court within 60 days from the date they are ordered, but delays aren\u2019t uncommon. Abramson said \u201cmore often than not\u201d the deadline isn\u2019t met and a new hearing is scheduled for several weeks out, or longer, and that weighs on a jailed defendant awaiting adjudication. It also postpones justice for victims, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve tried and tried to get repercussions but haven\u2019t been successful,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve personally filed motions for orders to show cause as to why \u2014 it\u2019s a large problem. Some judges grant the motions for the (CFP) to explain why, but some judges accept (the delays without further action).<\/p>\n
Abramson attributes much of the time lag to the CFP being shorthanded, and said that needs to change. \u201cI don\u2019t question they are understaffed, but the law is the law,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore funding is likely needed, possibly a statute change is needed\u2026something needs to happen,\u201d Abramson said. \u201cClients have a right to evaluation and treatment. The forensic center not complying with a court order \u2014 I ask for consequences. It\u2019s a system-wide problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sutfin acknowledges a backlog; it peaked after the COVID-19 pandemic\u2019s rebound in referrals and a staffing shortage, she said. However, she added, it\u2019s being successfully addressed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe waitlist has been reduced significantly, and scheduling continues to improve due to the implementation of several strategies,\u201d Sutfin said. These include performing evaluations via video conferencing, prioritizing felony cases and in-custody defendants, and increasing staffing.<\/p>\n
Also, evaluations for competency to stand trial are prioritized over those for criminal responsibility which \u201cdevotes evaluation resources to the greatest demand and minimizes delays in court proceedings,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The CFP\u2019s budget has also increased over the past two years, but Sutfin said this is primarily to offset inflation and \u201ccost of living pressures associated with patient census and acuity, such as\u00a0 pharmacy, food and payroll.\u201d<\/p>\n
The average patient census was at 247 for fiscal year2024 compared to 268 for fiscal year 2026 through this past January. Gross appropriations rose from $100,300,000 for fiscal year 2024 to $114,200,000 for fiscal year 2026.<\/p>\n
Outcomes vary<\/p>\n
Noah Ravenscoft\u2019s case never made it to trial. Approximately 15 months after he murdered his wife, Kristy, an Oakland County judge accepted a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, buoyed by results of his CFP evaluation and an independent assessment.<\/p>\n
In his court file, the CFP evaluator concluded that Ravenscroft was competent to stand trial but that he \u201cmet the statutory criteria for mental illness\u201d when he killed his wife. His mental illness \u201ccaused him to lack substantial capacity to appreciate the nature and quality\u201d of his criminal actions \u2014 and that he was legally insane.<\/p>\n
The independent evaluator had a similar conclusion, stating, in part, that Ravencroft\u2019s behavior appeared to be \u201cthe product of mental illness\u201d and that he \u201cdidn\u2019t have substantial capacity to appreciate the nature and quality of the wrongfulness of his actions\u2026.lacked substantial capacity\u201d to conform his behavior, and met the state requirements for legal insanity. The judge agreed.<\/p>\n
Isaias Porras\u2019s case took a different route. He was found to be incompetent for trial but restorable, and eventually regained competency through inpatient treatment including medication, according to court records.<\/p>\n
![\"defendant\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/porrasbetter.jpg\")
Isaias Porras at his 2022 preliminary exam in Oakland County (Aileen Wingblad\/MediaNews Group)<\/p>\n
A jury trial was held in late 2024 and Porras was found guilty of first-degree murder and first-degree child abuse for the death of hs son, whose body was found by police during a welfare check.<\/p>\n
Isaias Porras is serving a life sentence in prison; the child\u2019s mother, Amanda Jajou, is serving a 15- to 60-year prison sentence for second-degree murder and accessory after the fact to a felony. She pleaded no contest to both charges.<\/p>\n
For Kelli Bryant, a hearing in Oakland County Circuit Court is pending for review of her competency evaluation \u2014 which has not yet happened. She failed to appear for her evaluation scheduled for April 16, so Oakland County Circuit Judge Mary Ellen Brennan revoked her bond. Bryant was then taken to the Oakland County Jail. The evaluation date will be rescheduled.<\/p>\n
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