DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz imposed a 48 months sentence for a stabbing defendant during a hearing on May 29.
On Feb. 6, Daniyah Dailey, 25, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon for her involvement in a stabbing on Nov. 27, 2021 on the 2200 block of 25th Place, NE. Two victims sustained injuries from the stabbing, and one of them suffered additional gunshot wounds allegedly committed by 34-year-old Tejan Bah.
Bah’s case was dismissed following his death in February 2025.
Through the plea deal, parties agreed to a sentence of five-to-eight years of imprisonment, which takes into consideration the amount of time Dailey was waiting for a resolution – two-and-a-half years –due to her transfer to DC after serving a sentence in Maryland for an unrelated matter.
During the hearing, the victim who sustained gunshot and stab wounds provided an impact statement, in which he claimed he knew Dailey leading up to the incident and she’d “change personalities with an alter ego.”
“She was a kind young lady who would convert into a thug,” the victim continued, stating the defendants had planned a homicide, but failed because Bah’s gun jammed.
The prosecution urged Judge Kravitz to impose an eight year sentence, arguing the incident was not spontaneous, and Dailey “made the specific decision to arm herself with a knife, stabbing the victim and slitting the throat of the other victim.”
“This was absolutely brutal and led to catastrophic consequences for the victims,” the prosecutor continued. They further argued the defendant’s actions were “calculated decisions, and she changed [the victims’] lives forever.”
The prosecutor further argued against Dailey being sentenced under the Youth Rehabilitation Act (YRA), which allows a defendant’s conviction to be sealed if they successfully complete all sentencing requirements. According to the prosecution, “she was given the opportunity to benefit from it in the past, and she failed to take advantage of the opportunity.”
Sarah Kopecki, Dailey’s attorney, argued she should be sentenced under the YRA because she was in an abusive relationship with Bah, and didn’t have enough self esteem or confidence to live her life within her own standards.
Kopecki further stated Dailey has told the defense team “this is not the life I want to live, I want to take control.”
“Dailey has changed, and she does look back on these experiences as unimaginable,” Kopecki asserted.
Janai Reed, Dailey’s other attorney, argued she has made tremendous progress since her arrest, requesting the most lenient sentence permissible through the plea deal.
Reed highlighted Dailey’s “horrific” background, stating she experienced at least nine adverse experiences. According to Reed, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) concluded four adverse experiences could make someone dysfunctional.
“This has been a mind boggling experience,” Dailey stated, apologizing to the victims. She told Judge Kravitz she found someone she never wants to lose – herself.
“The person who was arrested four years ago is not the one sitting here today,” she stated, adding she regrets her actions every day.
She pleaded with Judge Kravitz to get another chance to be a model citizen and mother to her child.
When Judge Kravitz questioned her about her relationship with Bah, she stated “well, it was crazy.” She further stated Bah was 11 years older than her and was abusive.
“I went through a lot with him,” Dailey told Judge Kravitz.
Judge Kravitz argued a six-and-a-half year sentence was appropriate in this case, and would get the two-and-a-half years reduced, totaling 48 months.
Judge Kravitz stated there were some mitigating factors to her level of culpability based on her “unequal and possibly abusive” relationship.
Judge Kravitz further sentenced Dailey under the YRA, stating the most significant factors for him were “her age, the involvement of a significantly older and abusive partner in life and in crime, and what appears to me to be not a particularly advanced appreciation of the risks of her conduct.”
She will be required to participate in the Life Connections Program in the Bureau of Prisons (BoP), which Kopecki stated helps inmates develop self-reliance skills, and the Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP).
“I wish you all the best,” Judge Kravitz told Dailey.
No further dates were set.
