DC Superior Court Michael Ryan released a homicide defendant to home confinement on Nov. 7.
Leroy Dixon, 17, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 16-year-old Dominique Dingle that occurred on May 20 on the 1000 block of Third Place, SE.
Dixon is charged as an adult under Title 16.
At the hearing, Dixon’s defense attorney Terrance Austin, requested that Judge Ryan consider releasing him from the DC Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) given Dixon’s relatively clean criminal record and current enrollment in a number of support programs.
Austin stated that Dixon had recently received his high school diploma and had graduated with a 3.7 grade point average. Dixon has also been receiving support from the Credible Messenger program, which provides youth committed to DYRS with professional mentorship for academic and social endeavors as well as mental health guidance.
The prosecution argued that Dixon was a danger to the community, given that Dixon has two other allegations of pointing a gun at individuals.
The prosecution moved to present two of Dixon’s music videos to Judge Ryan, both of which were published on YouTube. One video pre-dated the homicide, where Dixon appears to be rapping the lyrics “Catching a b and going on the run”. In the second video, which post-dated the homicide, Dixon can appear in the video with the lyrics, “Leave you on the scene I know that they are mad”.
The prosecution argued that Dixon’s lyrics from both videos, as well as his behavior could be indicative of his involvement in the incident.
“I understand that rap music can be viewed as distasteful or inappropriate to some but it is seriously wrong for the [prosecution] to argue that a 16-year-old’s lyrics are the basis for detaining him,” Austin said in his response to the prosecution.
Austin also noted that the prosecution had no evidence that the lyrics within the music videos were about the homicide, and rather argued that they held the potential to be about the homicide.
The prosecution also argued that Dixon’s age at the time of the crime makes him impulsive and act without thinking, potentially making him a flight-risk as well, to which the defense called this argument “nonsensical”.
The defense stated that Dixon often cared for his younger siblings, and had lost his three older brothers to gun violence. Austin added that he had navigated his feelings of grief alone. With that, the defense argued that his involvement in the crime was not a testament to his character.
“Leroy is so much more than that, and he has always, always, had dreams,” Austin said.
The defense told Judge Ryan that Dixon has ambitions to become a real estate appraiser, and is also eligible to receive support and guidance from the DC Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) to prepare for longer term employment if released.
Judge Ryan told the defense that Dixon’s eligibility for RSA programming, as well as receiving his diploma, was significant, despite his concerns about Dixon’s behavior of “laying low” following the homicide.
Judge Ryan also stated that between now and the end of Dixon’s case, he believed that Dixon was deserving of receiving services within the community, and therefore released him to home confinement with GPS monitoring.
The prosecution requested that Dixon’s release contain a stay-away order from the Dingle family, as well as the area where the homicide occurred, which was unopposed by the defense.
Parties are slated to reconvene on Dec. 9.
