A stabbing defendant received a sentence under the Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA) from DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park on April 3.
Devonte Wright, 27, was originally charged with assault with intent to kill while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with significant bodily injury, carrying a dangerous weapon, and cruelty to children, all committed against a minor. The charges stemmed from his involvement in a stabbing on May 27, 2020 on the 1700 block of Benning Road, NE. The two-year-old victim sustained a laceration to the forehead and stab wounds to the abdomen
On Feb. 4, Wright pleaded guilty to assault with intent to kill and possession of a prohibited weapon in exchange for dismissal of his other charges and two unrelated cases. Parties agreed to a sentencing range of five-to-six years in prison, subject to Judge Park’s approval.
Before parties presented their arguments, Judge Park acknowledged that there was only a two-month difference in the prison sentences the parties suggested, with the prosecution requesting 72 months of incarceration and the defense requesting 70 months.
The prosecution said that the main discrepancy between the parties’ requests was their argument for whether Wright should be sentenced under the YRA, which allows people under the age of 25 to have their convictions sealed after successfully completing their sentence and potentially offers sentencing flexibility.
The prosecution said that they consulted the victim’s family and also considered Wright’s mental health struggles in determining their request. They argued that due to the seriousness and violent nature of the crime, Wright should not be sentenced under the YRA. They said Wright is “lucky” the victim did not die and, if the case were a homicide, the YRA would not be applicable.
Christen Philips, Wright’s attorney, argued that his mental health was the root cause of his actions and should be considered when determining his sentence. Philips acknowledged concern that his mental health deteriorated to stabbing a minor, but said his mental state was also a mitigating factor that explained his actions.
Philips told Judge Park that Wright has received consistent mental health care and support for six years, and shown significant improvement. She pointed out that Wright’s age at the time of the incident directly related to the struggles he experienced. According to Philips, Wright’s age aligned with the age range when many people experience the initial onset of psychotic symptoms.
Philips also emphasized Wright’s lack of a criminal history supporting his mental health issues directly related to the circumstances and nature of the incident.
Now that Wright has access to better resources an improved mental health, Phillips argued he was a good candidate for the YRA. Phillips said Wright wants to maintain contact with his clinicians and his community and is capable of reintegrating into society.
Wright said, “I had no excuse for my actions, just my sorrow,” and apologized for the pain he caused to the victim and their family. Philips noted that Wright wrote out his statement ahead of time after careful reflection, and that this level of thoughtfulness showed his remorse.
Philips asked Judge Park to allow Wright to stay at Saint Elizabeths Hospital where he would receive better mental health care than at the DC Jail until the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) completed their sentencing calculations
Judge Park said that Wright’s lack of criminal history supported Philips’ argument about the incident stemming from his health struggles.
Judge Park sentenced Wright to six years under the YRA for assault with intent to kill, 180 days for possession of a prohibited weapon, to run concurrently, followed by three years of supervised release. Wright received credit for having already served almost six years of incarceration since his arrest on May 28, 2020.
Additionally, Judge Park granted Phillips request to let Wright stay at Saint Elizabeths with the expectation that he will be released from the hospital since he has served nearly his entire sentence.
Wright is also required to adhere to all mental health treatment recommendations from the mental health unit at the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA), participate in employment training, and complete 90 hours of community service during his supervised release.
Parties are scheduled to reconvene on April 7 for a post-sentencing hearing.
