A shooting defendant waived his right to a preliminary hearing before DC Superior Court Judge Heidi Herrmann on March 18.
Vernell Holliday, 34, is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm with prior conviction greater than a year for his alleged involvement in a non-fatal shooting that took place at the 1400 block of Clifton Street, NW on March 7.
According to court documents, the victim stated his nephew was in his bedroom when the victim heard what sounded like a gunshot, and something dropped in the living room. When looking at it further, the victim reportedly saw a hole in the wall and drywall debris on the ground. Investigators traced the gunshot to a nearby apartment where they allegedly found Holliday in possession of a firearm and drugs. No injuries were reported.
At the hearing, Holliday’s attorney, Madhuri Swarna, alerted parties that her client requested to waive his preliminary hearing in order to keep the prosecution’s plea offer open. No details of the deal were discussed in court.
Swarna asked for her client’s release and explained that Holliday has two daughters, is receiving mental health treatment, and is enrolled in a virtual college for music science.
The prosecution requested that Holliday remain held and stated that the facts of the case involve a 14-year-old juvenile, the victim’s nephew, who was present in the apartment building he shot into.
In addition to this, Holliday was previously banned by a different judge in an unrelated case from possessing firearms. The prosecution noted Holliday has four prior assault convictions, an attempted robbery conviction, and was on parole at the time of the offense.
As a result, Judge Herrmann agreed with the prosecution that the facts of the case are enough to maintain Holliday’s hold.
Parties are slated to reconvene on April 7.
