Defense attorney for triple-murder defendant Brice Rhodes asks judge to close competency hearing

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – A defense attorney in the triple-murder Brice Rhodes case has asked a judge to close his April 21 competency hearing to the media and public, according to court documents.

The high-profile case has been pending since 2016 and was scheduled for trial in January 2022 before Rhodes’ defense asked for a competency evaluation, claiming Rhodes had an "intellectual disability."

Because of a state backlog, it has taken the Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center in La Grange, or KCPC, more than a year to evaluate Rhodes on whether he is competent to stand trial or should be eligible for the death penalty.

A psychiatrist is expected to testify about the results of Rhodes' evaluation at a competency hearing on April 21.

But while these hearings are usually open to the public, attorney Tom Griffiths, who represents Rhodes, emailed Jefferson Circuit Court Judge Julie Kaelin earlier this month saying attorneys wanted the hearing closed.

Kaelin responded that while she was initially leaning towards keeping the hearing open, she couldn’t close it regardless without having a separate hearing in which the media or public had a chance to object, especially, she added, because of the “public interest” in this case.

That hearing is scheduled for April 17.

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Elizabeth Jones Brown, who is prosecuting the case, suggested contacting Jon Fleischaker, the state’s premier First Amendment attorney, to notify the media. Fleischaker represents WDRB News and The Courier-Journal, among other media outlets.

The Commonwealth's Attorney's office is not asking the judge to close the competency evaluation hearing.

Fleischaker said in an interview that he has not yet received any notification.

Jones Brown said “we haven’t had anything like this come up in a few years” and that competency hearings are typically open to the public, according to court records. She also requested that family members of the victims be allowed to attend.

Griffiths did not object to that request.

None of the communication to the judge went into detail about why Griffiths wanted to close this particular competency hearing.

Griffiths did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Rhodes' actions in court have repeatedly been irrational. In March 2020, Rhodes accused the judge overseeing his case of having a “sexual relationship” with the prosecutor and suggested the judge was "a secret Ku Klux Klan" member.

In a recent letter he sent to WDRB, Rhodes said he has been in jail for almost seven years and is a victim of police and prosecutorial misconduct.

Rhodes is accused of shooting and killing Christopher Jones in May 2016.

Later that month, he allegedly killed 14-year-old Larry Ordway and 16-year-old Maurice Gordon. Police have said the two were killed at Rhodes' home in Clifton. Their bodies were dumped in the Shawnee neighborhood and set on fire.

Rhodes allegedly killed the two brothers because he feared they would tell police about his involvement in Jones' murder.

Rhodes is being held on a $1 million full cash bond.