A homicide defendant rejected a plea offer at a hearing before DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman on July 17 after his case was reopened based on a ruling from the DC Court of Appeals.
Sean Green, 35, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 34-year-old Derrick Black on July 30, 2015, on the 3300 block of Georgia Avenue, NW. Black sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his head and back.
A jury convicted Green in 2018 for his involvement, but court documents indicate that the case was remanded from the DC Court of Appeals because Green was “not adequately advised of his Miranda rights” against self-incrimination during his arrest. According to the appellate court, Green’s statements “should not have been admitted into evidence at trial.”
In an unrelated case, Green is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon for his alleged involvement in a non-fatal stabbing that injured a fellow inmate at the DC Jail on Feb. 5, on the 1900 block of D Street, SE. According to court documents, the victim sustained three “minor” stab wounds.
Green’s attorney, Matthew Covert, alerted Judge Edelman that Green intended to reject a plea offer which would have required him to plead guilty to second-degree murder while armed in the fatal shooting case. According to the plea agreement, prosecutors would dismiss all other charges, including Green’s pending jail stabbing case.
Judge Edelman found Green’s plea rejection knowing and voluntary. Green’s retrial date in the homicide case is scheduled for July 12, 2027.
Parties are slated to reconvene on Sept. 4 for the homicide case.
