Judge Delays Juvenile’s Murder Trial by 2 Months

By D.C. Witness Staff - April 23, 2019
Court | Homicides | Policy | Suspects |

Amid undisclosed case developments and a motion to continue, a DC Superior Court judge pushed back a juvenile’s murder trial.

According to a Metropolitan Police Department press release, a juvenile is charged with first-degree murder while armed and carrying a pistol without a license for his alleged role in the death of 23-year-old Jamal Kwame Crump on the 1300 block of Monroe Street, NW on Feb. 27.

Judge Lynn Leibovitz pushed back the date after a prosecutor from the Office of the Attorney General submitted a motion to delay. The juvenile is now scheduled to go to trial on June 10, exactly seven weeks after it was originally scheduled to begin. D.C. Witness previously reported that the juvenile was slated to go to trial on April 22.

“I don’t believe it’s reasonable for either side to be ready to go forward,” Judge Leibovitz said.

The push goes against the regulation specified in Title 16, Chapter 23 of the DC Code. According to the policy, juveniles charged with murder should begin trial no later than 45 days after they are detained by family court. 

While acknowledging the law as is, Judge Leibovitz said it’s “extremely difficult” to go to trial on a 45-day clock, especially given the case’s nondisclosures, which include the prosecution’s failure to inform the defense that detectives said an adult suspect said the victim allegedly had a gun.

The prosecutor said he learned about the suspect’s statement on April 19, nearly two weeks after it was given. 

Apparently, the prosecutor also failed to tell the defense that Crump’s mother said he was known to carry a gun.

An Assistant United States Attorney, who is working on the the suspect’s case, said he may have mistakenly given detectives the impression that they weren’t supposed to notify the Office of the Attorney General about the statement. As of April 23, the suspect has not been arrested for the crime and D.C. Witness couldn’t verify that a warrant for his arrest had been issued. 

The juvenile is slated to appear in court on June 5 for a status hearing.