320 Defendants, 27% Held During Initial Hearings in 1st Half of September

By D.C. Witness Staff - September 18, 2020
Court | Featured | Homicides | Suspects |

DC Superior Court judges presided over 320 defendants’ cases during initial hearings from Sept. 1- Sept. 15.

Of the cases, judges released 235 defendants and held 85 defendants in DC Jail.

Nearly 18 percent of the cases were for defendants who were seen for release violations. According to D.C. Witness data, 36 defendants were brought in on charges for violating pretrial release conditions. Additionally, 16 defendants were brought in on charges for violating probation conditions, and seven defendants were brought in on charges for parole violations.

Twenty-three defendants were brought in on bench warrants for failing to appear at prior hearings, and there were 51 defendants who had cases involving firearms, 16 percent.

Judges held defendants on various charges ranging from felony crimes such as murder to other crimes, including destruction of property and parole violations.

Three DC Superior Court judges presided over the hearings, including Judge James Crowell, Judge Sean Staples and Judge Heide Herrmann.

Judge Staples presided over the most cases. He heard 171 cases and released 131 defendants and held 40 defendants.

Judge Crowell presided over 88 defendants, holding 31 defendants and releasing 57.

Judge Herrmann presided over the least amount of cases, hearing 61. She released 47 defendants and held 14 in the jail.

There were a total of 74 domestic violence cases, comprising 23.1 percent of all cases. The judges held 15 of the defendants and released 59.

Of the domestic violence defendants held, their charges consisted simple assault, violation of a Civil Protection Order (CPO), violation of a Temporary Protection Order (TPO), destruction of property less than $1,000, possession and attempted possession of a prohibited weapon, contempt, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault on a police officer, threats to do bodily harm, attempted second-degree cruelty to children and armed kidnapping.

Fifty domestic violence defendants were given stay-away orders and six were given no harassing, assaulting, stalking or threatening (HATS) orders toward the alleged victims in their respective cases.

Eight domestic violence defendants, five who were held and three who were released, were brought in on charges for violating a condition of their release.

Additionally, there were 103 misdemeanor cases, 89 felony cases and 10 traffic offenses.

Krystin Roehl wrote this report. Andrea Keckley contributed.