DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park gave Steven Washington until July 11 to demonstrate that he is complying with the terms of his release after the DC Pretrial Services Agency (PSA) recommended he be detained at the DC Jail during a court hearing on May 2.
Washington, 25, and his co-defendants, Dijon Williams, 25, and Daivion Williams, 26, are charged with first-degree murder while armed with aggravating circumstances, conspiracy, attempt to commit robbery while armed, carrying a pistol without a license, and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The charges stem from their alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 30-year-old Nurudeen Thomas on July 21, 2020, on the 4100 block of 14th Street, NW.
At the hearing, a PSA officer told the court that Washington has repeatedly violated the terms of his release. On one occasion, Washington was away from his residence without authorization for several hours.
Veronice Holt, Washington’s defense attorney, asked the court to give her client another chance. She said Washington has been on release for more than two years with no other violations, aside from a period of time when he was homeless.
Judge Park said he would review Washington’s compliance again after 60 days. He noted that it’s very rare for a defendant charged with felony murder to be on release and warned Washington to cooperate with PSA in order to avoid spending the next year in jail waiting for trial.
Parties are slated to reconvene on July 11.
