DC Superior Court Judge Carmen McLean found that the DC United States Attorneys Office fo (USAO) had not used false testimony in their prosecution of a carjacking defendant on Nov. 18.
Markell Woodings, 18, is charged with armed carjacking and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his alleged involvement in a carjacking on the 4000 block of Douglas Street, NE on Sept. 21, 2025.
During the incident, Woodings is alleged to have flashed a pistol and stolen a moped from the victim after the victim let him ride it, according to court documents. Officers did not recover a weapon from Woodings during his arrest or at the scene of the crime, where Woodings allegedly left it behind, according to court documents.
Woodings’ attorney, Lauren Morehouse, called the emergency motion hearing out of a concern that the prosecution had used false statements at some point in previous hearings. If true, the misuse would violate the Napue rule, which requires prosecutors to disclose to the defense any false statements made by witnesses.
The specifics of the potential Napue violation in Woodings’ case are unclear because previous discussions between parties in his case have occurred under seal. During the Nov. 18 hearing, Judge McLean hinted that the issue stemmed from witness statements about allegations that Woodings’ lifted his shirt and flashed a pistol at the victim
Judge McLean ultimately found that the prosecution had not used any false statements in their preliminary efforts to prosecute the case.
“There is nothing definitive to say that the [prosecution] allowed false testimony to be a part of the hearings thus far,” Judge McLean said.
In her ruling, Judge McLean noted that officers are allowed to incorporate hearsay, or out-of-court statements, in their testimony during probable cause hearings. Judge McLean also instructed the prosecution to be very careful of Napue violations during trial.
She also ordered the prosecution to comply with a Nov. 25 deadline to turn over any relevant information to Morehouse. Judge McLean took issue with a prosecutor’s statement that they would comply with the order but might continue to find evidence after the deadline as they continued to investigate the case.
“I find that that is problematic for the defense,” Judge McLean said, though she recognized that the prosecution had a right to investigate the case up until trial.
After clearing the prosecution of any Napue violations, Judge McLean denied a motion to release Woodings. Judge McLean argued that the defense had not overcome the presumption that Woodings posed a danger to the community.
Before the conclusion of the hearing, Woodings surprised the court by requesting a new attorney.
Judge McLean denied the request.
“I’m not going to grant the request at this time,” Judge McLean said.
Parties are slated to reconvene Dec. 18.
