Judge Denies Prosecutor’s Request to Revoke Convict’s Probation

By D.C. Witness Staff - July 6, 2020
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Probation | Suspects |

A DC Superior Court judge denied July 6 a prosecution’s request to revoke a convicted felon’s probation after several incidents of non compliance. The defendant has recently been in compliance with he terms of his release.

Eulis Knox pleaded guilty to attempted threats and attempted possession of a prohibited weapon and carrying a pistol without a license on June 24, 2019. He was initially charged with simple assault, attempted threats to do bodily harm and attempted possession of a prohibited weapon and carrying a pistol without a license outside of a home or business. 

Judge Robert Okun ultimately sided with Knox’s attorney, Brett Cohen, who said that Knox has remained in contact with his probation officer since June 4 and has recently come into compliance with the conditions of his probation. Judge Okun allowed Knox to continue with his probation in hopes that he will remain in compliance.

On March 28, he was sentenced to 30 months, only 14 of which he would have to serve behind bars. He was also given one year of supervised probation. 

Knox reportedly violated his probation a number of times since being released on Nov. 26, 2019. The prosecutor listed a series of violations that included a three month long loss of contact and a simple assault charge filed on June 9 when recommending that Knox’s probation be revoked.

The prosecutor took particular concern with the circumstances of the assault case, because Knox had a stay away order from one of the incident’s witnesses.

A representative from the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) deferred to the prosecution’s request for probation revocation.

Since probation officers were not seeing clients face-to-face at the time, she said Knox’s failure to stay in contact “does speak to his character when the only thing he had to do was call in.”

Knox is scheduled to return to court to reassess his compliance on Sept. 21. He is also slated to appear in court on Sept. 8 for a status hearing in his assault case.