Prosecutor Says Significant Setbacks Could Delay Murder Trial

By D.C. Witness Staff - May 23, 2019
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Suspects |

The prosecution told a DC Superior Court judge on May 23 that technological difficulties caused significant delays in  the progression of a murder trial.

Joshua Artis is charged with first-degree murder while armed for allegedly shooting Ryan Matthew Addison, 28, on the 200 block of Elmira Street, SW on Aug. 11, 2015. Artis, 29, is also charged with possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, conspiracy, obstruction of justice and unlawful possession of a firearm.

The prosecutor said there was technical difficulties in transferring data that was necessary for the trial.

During the hearing, Judge Ronna Lee Beck called Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, who is responsible for transferring the data, on the phone to ask him about the issue. Hickling said an unknown environmental factor was causing unusually slow downloads and uploads of the data.

Hickling said the difficulties could delay the transfer for at least another week.

In response to the difficulties, the prosecutor told Judge Beck that the delay would make his team miss a deadline to give data to the defense. The deadline was previously scheduled for May 23.

The prosecutor also said he would likely need to request a continuance of the trial. The trial is currently scheduled on June 3.

As of May 23, a new trial date has not been decided.

According to court documents, Addison was discovered by police suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

In December of 2018, D.C. Witness reported that Artis is a member of the Imperial Gangsta Bloods  (IGB), a criminal organization that operates in DC and Northern Virginia.

A grand jury indictment stated that a group leader of the IGB authorized Artis to kill Addison in retaliation for the death of Rodney Davis. Davis was allegedly a friend of Artis and the IGB leader.