Firearm Charges Struck Out After Court Finds Belize City Man Unfit for Trial

A Belize City man is no longer facing two firearm-related charges after a Magistrate ruled that he is not mentally fit to stand trial.  Twenty-two-year-old Santa Barbara Street resident Mark Stephen Godoy had the charges of kept firearm and kept ammunition without a gun license struck out in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court following a competency hearing.  Godoy was initially arraigned on July 3, 2023, after police reported that on July 1 he was found in possession of a chrome and black-grip Beretta 9mm pistol along with ten live rounds of ammunition.  However, the case stalled when concerns were raised about his mental condition. The court ordered a competency hearing to determine whether he could properly understand the proceedings and instruct legal counsel.

During that hearing, Senior Magistrate Mannon Dennison heard testimony from clinical psychologist Dr. Suzanna Hoy-Mitchell, who assessed Godoy’s mental state. Another expert who had been summoned did not appear, leaving the court to rely on the available professional evidence.  After considering the testimony, the Magistrate ruled that Godoy was not competent to stand trial. As a result, the prosecution could not proceed and both criminal charges were struck out.  Godoy is therefore free from the firearm allegations at the lower court level