Commonwealth v. Armani Huacon

Armani Huacon, charged as a youthful offender for shooting a victim during a robbery attempt, was found incompetent by the Juvenile Court multiple times. The case raised questions about the court's authority to order competency remediation. Despite earlier findings suggesting potential competency restoration, subsequent assessments concluded Armani was unlikely to become competent. Diagnosed with severe language-based learning disabilities and executive dysfunction, experts deemed Armani unable to comprehend complex language-heavy proceedings. Following a hearing, the Juvenile Court, after nearly three and a half years of detention, ordered Armani's release under due process due to his inability to attain competency.

Drawing from the decision in Makis M. v. Commonwealth released the same day, the court emphasized the legislative responsibility to propose and fund remediation programming, rather than placing this burden on the judiciary. This clarification delineates the boundaries of the court's jurisdiction and underscores the need for legislative action to address gaps in the system.