A juvenile shooting defendant waived his right to a preliminary hearing of the evidence against him before DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz on July 8.
Ka’Raun Foster, 17, is charged with assault with intent to commit any other offense while armed, and first-degree burglary while armed for his alleged involvement in a shooting on the 1200 block of 7th Street, NW. An individual sustained injuries during the incident.
Foster is being tried as an adult under Title 16. That gives prosecutors flexiblilty in determining whether to charge juveniles as adults for certain serious crimes.
Defense attorney Megan Allburn alerted Judge Kravitz of his intent to waive his right to a preliminary hearing, and asked for release with GPS monitoring and 24 hour home confinement. According to Allburn, thus far Foster has been successful in a youth rehabilitation program at the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services’s (DYRS) Youth Services Center (YSC). He has had exemplary behavior and been a great model to other youth involved in the program, stated Allburn.
Allburn also mentioned that Foster has received recognition for being an outstanding scholar in math and winning debate team finals.
The prosecution argued against the defendant’s release based on the fact that Foster is currently on probation for two juvenile crimes committed prior to his arrest, emphasizing that all crimes are crimes of violence.
Judge Kravitz denied his release, stating no conditions would guarantee the safety of the community.
Parties are slated to reconvene on Aug. 15.
