Two months after James Barnwell was deemed mentally competent to stand trial on a rape charge the case was dismissed at the request of the alleged victim.

This information was previously unavailable under procedures in the St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court’s Office. It is now available through limited records access in such cases under an order by 27th Judicial District Court judges.

Barnwell was arrested in August 2010 after a woman told police she was sleeping on a couch in a Eunice residence when she awakened to find a man on top of her. Barnwell at the time of his arrest claimed the encounter was consensual.

In September 2010, Barnwell’s bond was set at $200,000.

In October 2010, his counsel filed a motion to release him from bail obligation.

Two days later, the DA’s Office filed a bill of information charging simple rape.

On Nov. 4, Judge James Doherty, Jr. set jury selection for January 11, 2011 and reduced bond to $100,000, stipulating no contact with the victim and wearing an ankle bracelet to track his movements.

That bond was revoked on Nov. 10 when Bertrand appeared before Judge Alonzo Harris in another criminal matter.

Barnwell appeared in January for jury selection but the DA had no file in court and moved to delay, over the defense’s objection.

Doherty reset jury selection for May 10.

On March 3, the judge granted the defense’s motion for a sanity commission review to determine Barnwell’s mental condition at the time of the alleged offense and his competency to proceed with trial.

After several starts and stops, the court was able to review the commission findings in late July, ruling on July 27 that Barnwell, by then incarcerated at Pine Prairie Correctional Center, was competent to stand trial and setting jury selection for Sept., 13.

On. Sept. 6, 2011, Doherty dismissed the case due to insufficient evidence at the request of the state and the alleged victim, with the state reserving rights to re-institute prosecution.