DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan is considering whether to allow a mother-and-son duo to withdraw their guilty pleas in connection with a fatal 2021 shooting.
Chakeatia Jackson, 39, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. Her son, Jaquell Jackson, 20, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed and assault with a dangerous weapon. In return, prosecutors agreed to drop the possession of a firearm during a crime of violence charge and agreed to a sentencing range of 12-to 15-years. Charges stemmed from their involvement in the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Tarshaqua Chappell on Sept. 15, 2021, on the 1300 block of Congress Street, SE.
According to court documents, the murder resulted from a verbal altercation between Chakeatia and Chappell at Ballou High School. Following the dispute, Chakeatia and Jaquell were allegedly seen pointing at Chappell’s vehicle before shots were fired.
The July 3 status hearing focused on motions from the defendants to withdraw their guilty pleas, saying that their previous attorneys had coerced them and misinformed them of their options.
Chakeatia’s attorney, Kevin Irving, stated that she had been in an extremely emotional and confused state when she was pressured by her previous lawyer, Errin Scialpi, to sign papers and agree with any of the judge’s questions. Although Chakeatia declined to testify, citing her Fifth Amendment rights, she now maintains that she did not understand what she agreed to during the plea negotions.
Jaquell’s attorney, Megan Allburn, offered a different argument, stating that his previous lawyer, Brian McDaniel, was not incompetent but was instead misinformed of the plea deals on the table. Jaquell reportedly believed that his mother would only receive a plea deal if he accepted one as well, leading him to agree to terms despite wanting to proceed to trial.
The prosecution opposed both motions. They highlighted the professional records of both defense attorneys, stating they are capable and experienced. The court heard how McDaniel had secured a favorable plea deal for Jaquell despite his alleged involvement in a jailhouse stabbing while awaiting trial.
Furthermore, the prosecution pointed out the repeated discrepancies between Chakeatia’s new recollection of events that led to her plea and what actually happened.
Chakeatia claimed that she was instructed by Scialpi to blindly agree during a break in her plea hearing, when in fact no such break took place during the court proceedings. Additionally, her new stance of having no involvement in the shooting is contradicted by video surveillance at the scene of the crime that identifies her, according to the prosecution.
Judge Ryan has given both parties until July 8 to submit any final written arguments on the matter and will make a ruling on the motions before the next hearing.
Parties are slated to reconvene on Aug. 4.
