A jury trial was waived on Oct. 27, a week after it started, following a stabbing defendant’s acceptance of a plea deal in assaulting his roommate before DC Superior Court Judge Jennifer Di Toro.
Christopher Samuels, 28, was originally charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for his involvement in the non-fatal stabbing of his roommate which occurred on the 200 block of Valley Avenue, SE, on Sept. 3, 2023.
During the hearing, Samuels pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon.
This came after the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) conducted a preliminary screening to determine Samuels’ competency to stand trial. The results showed that Samuels was in fact competent, in that he understood the charges and coudl aid in his defense, according to Judge Di Toro.
Samuels, who had previously requested to represent himself in trial, now wished to enter a guilty plea, waiving a jury trial.
The prosecution stated that, had Samuels proceeded with trial, they would have proven beyond a reasonable doubt that he assaulted his roommate with a knife in their apartment. Samuels, who was upset at his victim for not keeping their bathroom clean, threw a bucket at the victim’s bedroom door and an altercation ensued. Both men sustained injuries after they grabbed at the knife used in the stabbing, according to the prosecution.
The parties, including Samuels’s defense attorney Brandon Burrell and the prosecution, agreed to a sentencing of 24 months of confinement, with two years of supervised release.
Additionally, Samuels waived his right to have any additional DNA testing of the evidence.
Parties are slated to reconvene for sentencing on Jan. 16.
