La Plata, MD – Jonathan Lee Barnett, 33 of Waldorf, is caught between a rock and a hard place.

Worse than that, he’s there without a lawyer.

Barnett was facing second-degree rape charges from 2013 and accepted an Alford plea in May of last year for second-degree assault.

He was given a 10-year suspended sentence and placed on five years of probation.

He’s been incarcerated since violating probation and has gotten two new charges in Charles County District Court.

Charles County Public Defender Michael Beach stepped in Monday, March 14 before Charles County Circuit Court Judge Helen I. Harrington and said Barnett had dismissed his lawyer during his district court case and had yet to procure representation, but said he would try to represent him during this hearing.

“I know he’s anxious given the period of time he’s been incarcerated,” Beach noted.

Harrington said the court had received a competency report finding Barnett competent.

“The state will submit on that report,” Charles County Assistant State’s Attorney John Stackhouse said.

“I am going to get him another attorney but I will do what I can to help Mr. Barnett,” Beach said.

Harrington noted that Barnett had two violations of probation, one for disorderly conduct.

“Judge [Louis] Hennessy found him guilty in that case,” Stackhouse interjected. “He also has a pending theft case in district court.”

“He’s not being held in either of those,” Beach said. “He wants a lawyer.”

“I think that’s very clear,” Harrington agreed. “It would be in his best interest to be represented by counsel.”

“There’s a lot of moving parts to this case,” Stackhouse said.

Harrington said she would reset the case for March 25.

“Hopefully, there will be an attorney,” she said. “I can’t take action until the district court case is resolved.”

“I don’t understand why everything is being prolonged,” Barnett said. “I did exactly what you told me to do. You asked me to write a letter. I did. You told me to go get evaluated, I did that.”

“I’m not going to reconsider bond today,” Harrington said. “You need to get through your district court case and you need to get an attorney.”

“I did what the court asked me to do,” Barnett said again. “I miss my family.”

“Judge Hennessy wanted to see what happened today,” Stackhouse noted.

The judge told Barnett she was stepping down from the bench and would see him March 25.

Barnett stood at the defense table, knuckles bared on the wood, his head down.

Beach tried to console him, but he was not a happy man.

Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com