Judge Issues Two Bench Warrants, Continues 5 Show Cause Hearings

By D.C. Witness Staff - November 6, 2020
Court | Daily Stories | Documents | Homicides | Post Disposition | Probation | Suspects | Victims |

A DC Superior Court judge issued two bench warrants, continued five hearings and sentenced a defendant during pretrial and probation show cause hearings on Nov. 5.

Judge Gerald Fisher  issued a bench warrant for Karl Woods after he failed to appear to court.. 

The 56-year-old is charged with attempted threats to do bodily harm and simple assault. He was released with the conditions to report to and verify his address with the Pretrial Services Agency (PSA). On Sept. 24, a notice of non compliance with pretrial release conditions was filed.

The PSA has deemed him a loss of contact.

The other bench warrant was issued for Kendrick Phillips, who was also a no show in court and a loss of contact with PSA. 

Phillips, 28, is charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and fleeing a law enforcement officer in two separate cases, respectively.

He was released into the High Intensity Supervision Program (HISP) for the possession case.  In the other case, he  was only required to report to the PSA.

According to a PSA representative, he has failed to charge his GPS monitor on a number of occasions and has gotten several curfew violations.

Judge Fisher continued a probation show cause hearing for Kennie Gray.

Gray, 24, pleaded guilty on March 25, 2019, to a bail violation and was given one year supervised probation. A bench warrant was issued on Aug. 31 for his failure to appear at a show cause hearing and for his lack of compliance with probation conditions.

He is currently being held in DC jail for another matter, which was why he was not in court today.

Gray’s next show cause hearing is scheduled for Dec. 22.

The judge also continued a  probation show cause hearing for Mark Cobrand, and he dismissed a June 30  probation violation report.

Cobrand pleaded guilty to robbery and carrying a dangerous weapon outside home or business in violation. He also has a history of receiving bench warrants and notices of noncompliance.

According to CSOSA, he has been doing increasingly better with reporting. His next hearing is scheduled for March 8,  and will trail the defendant’s pending matters.

A probation show cause hearing was continued for Jan. 11, 2021, to see if the defendant will come into compliance with his probation conditions.

Jesse Goodwin, 24, pleaded guilty to simple assault in December 2019 and was given one year supervised probation.

He has had several notices of noncompliance filed against him.

Judge Fisher said if Goodwin does not improve his compliance by the next hearing, he will revoke his probation. 

The judge continued a pretrial show cause hearing for a 37-year-old defendant charged in three cases.

Darryl Mathews is charged with a bail violation in one case and unlawful entry onto private property in his second and third case.

He had previously not been reporting to PSA.

However, a PSA officer said that as of late he has been in compliance.

Judge Fisher ordered Mathews to verify his address with PSA in person today. The next hearing is set for March 8, 2021.

A post disposition probation show cause hearing was continued to monitor George Odemn’s progress with the conditions of his probation. 

Odemns pleaded guilty to destruction of property $1,000 or more and unlawful entry onto private property on May 1, 2019.

He was given two years supervised probation with the condition to also maintain mental health counseling and treatment.

Odemns had not been seeking mental health treatment. A representative from CSOSA said that Odemns has come into compliance with reporting and with mental health treatment.

The next hearing is set for Jan. 11, 2021.

Judge Fisher signed off on Kimberly Jennings’ global plea deal and sentenced her to time served and requiring her to pay $50 to the Victims of Violent Crime Compensation fund.

Jennings, 37, pleaded guilty to second-degree theft and simple assault.

Per the plea, the charges of attempted threats to do bodily harm in one case and destruction of property less than $1,000 and attempted possession of a prohibited weapon in another were dismissed. 

The judge decided not to set a new hearing date for Lance Applewhite, due to his compliance with his conditions of probation. 

Applewhite was found guilty by jury trial for robbery on March 25, 2015, and was given 52 months supervised probation.

On Aug. 19, a probation show cause hearing was continued for 90 days to monitor his compliance in a drug treatment program. 

The show cause hearing for Alonzo Draper was vacated and the prosecution was given bench warrant rights. 

Draper, 27, is charged with possession of a controlled substance.

A bench warrant was issued on Jan. 3 and a notice of noncompliance was filed on Oct. 6. A PSA official said the defendant has regained compliance as of his last checkin, which was on Nov. 2.

This article was written by Yasmeen McGettrick.