Phone Records Evidence Delays Homicide Trial

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DC Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo delayed a homicide trial by a day due to the prosecution’s last minute submission of evidence, during a July 29 hearing.

Darius Anderson, 23, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of carrying a pistol without a license for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of Israel Mattocks, 30, on June 15, 2022, on the 3900 block of Minnesota Avenue, NE.

In what was supposed to be the start of jury selection, Wole Falodun, Anderson’s defense attorney, alerted the court that the prosecution had presented more than 60,000 pages of telephone communications from the two phones found on the victim and two phones allegedly on Anderson during his arrest less than 24 hours before trial was supposed to begin.

According to the prosecution the evidence has been in their possession since last year, but they had yet to disclose it. Therefore, Falodun argued for a mistrial, stating that the prosecutors could have provided the evidence months ago, and failed to do so.

Judge Demeo denied the motion for a mistrial, but granted a one day continuance for Falodun to review the documents and finalize preparations for trial.

Parties are slated to return on July 30.