DC Superior Court Judge Jason Park sentenced a gun possession defendant to 30 months in prison on July 17 after discussion between parties over the severity of his offense.
Christopher Tyler, 48, was convicted on March 9 of unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction greater than a year. The charge stemmed from an incident on July 7, 2023 on the 4100 block of Ames Street, SE.
Tyler was acquitted of first-degree premeditated murder, first-degree burglary, attempt to commit a robbery while armed, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 34-year-old Nolan Edwards.
At Tyler’s sentencing, the prosecutor attempted to increase Tyler’s offense severity score, which would increase the sentencing guidelines for the crime from 18-to-36 months to 30-to-54 months in prison. To support the request, he argued that Tyler had a criminal history, specifically a prior conviction of unlawful possession of a firearm.
Kevann Gardner, Tyler’s attorney, criticized the prosecution’s short notice. Gardner argued Tyler proceeded to trial with the homicide-related charges in the indictment, and might have decided differently if he knew he was facing greater charges after the murder acquittal.
Judge Park decided to continue with Tyler’s sentencing under the guideline of 18-to-36 months, noting that the prosecution must give at least two-weeks notice for any proposed amendments for sentencing.
The prosecutor promptly asked for “the highest of the guidelines,” 36 months in prison, briefly noting apparent inconsistencies in the context of the offense, such as a text message allegedly implicating Tyler.
Gardner emphasized the jury’s acquittal of Tyler’s murder charge and its relation to his possession conviction. He argued that “jurors expressly told [parties] the gun conviction was based on the text message, not what they should have been considering,” and for that Tyler should not have been convicted.
“A sentence of 18 months is sufficient,” Gardner concluded, briefly mentioning Tyler’s childhood history of “abuse, instability, fear,” and how he grew to become “a caregiver for many people.”
The prosecutor called Gardner’s argument “inappropriate” given the jury’s verdict According to the prosecutor, the jury’s admission that the text message was their primary evidence was neither on the record, nor reported to the prosecution or Judge Park.
The prosecutor told Judge Park he had “more than enough” in front of him to support a sentence at the top of the guidelines.
Judge Park, taking into account the seriousness of the offense and Tyler’s prior conviction, said he didn’t believe 36 months was warranted, nor did he think 18 months was sufficient.
As a result, Tyler was sentenced to 30 months in prison with a 12 month mandatory minimum, followed by three years of supervised release. In addition, Tyler must register as a gun offender in DC and pay $100 to the Victims of Violent Crimes Fund.
Judge Park also recommended that Tyler seek mental health treatment while on supervised release.
No further dates were set.
