Delawnte Hardy, 26, appeared via Zoom at a competency hearing Thursday as he continues treatment at Central Ohio Behavioral Healthcare to determine whether he can be restored to fitness to stand trial. Officer Ritter was fatally shot on July 4, 2024, when Hardy allegedly opened fire during a warrant service in the 1500 block of East 80th Street in Cleveland. Hardy is also accused of killing his grandmother, Beatrice Porter, on June 28, 2024, at her Garfield Heights home.
The hearing centered on Senate Bill 295, a new state law that the Ritter family advocated for earlier this year. The legislation addressed what prosecutors and the victim's family characterized as a legal loophole: Hardy had refused medication for months while undergoing competency restoration treatment, effectively delaying the proceedings. Under Ohio law, cases can be dismissed if a defendant cannot be restored to competency within one year.
Karen Ritter, Officer Ritter's mother, testified before the Ohio legislature in February on behalf of the bill. "All we're asking is for justice to be served, so that he can be restored without any time frames," she said at the Statehouse.
Hardy's defense team argued that the new law should not apply to his case because the alleged crimes occurred before the legislation was signed into law. The judge rejected this constitutional argument during Thursday's hearing. "I just don't see that. Nobody's been able to point to anything that that's a constitutional right that's been impinged here," the judge stated.
Hardy made no statements during the Zoom appearance. His attorneys indicated they are considering whether to file an appeal and requested additional time from the judge to make that determination. The case now awaits their decision on next steps.
