ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – A man accused of committing a fatal stabbing in Escanaba appeared in court Wednesday afternoon.
Escanaba Public Safety responded to a possible stabbing within the city on August 13. The victim died at the scene. Kaw Tung was later arrested for the crime.
On Wednesday, Tung, who speaks Burmese, virtually attended a hearing from the Delta County Jail with the assistance of an interpreter. Defense attorney Jen France said that when she tried to inform him about the roles of the attorneys and officials involved in the case, Tung was unable to explain their roles “with confidence.”
France asked the judge to order a forensic evaluation for “criminal responsibility and competency.” Delta County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Beth Wickwire argued that France’s reasoning was insufficient.
“We believe a blanket statement that he was unable to articulate the rules to Miss France without any further showing that that was due to incompetency does not necessarily meet the burden,” Wickwire said.
The judge decided to order an evaluation for Tung as France requested.
“While I understand the prosecutor’s concerns, this is a very serious case with a very significant language barrier,” said Judge Steven Parks. “Therefore, I feel I must err on the side of caution.”
The evaluation must be completed before a preliminary examination can be held. WZMQ 19 will continue to follow this case as it develops.
