Judge Grants Defense Attorney’s Motion to Withdraw

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A DC Superior Court judge granted a defense attorney’s motion to withdraw as counsel for a convicted murder defendant.

In Febuary 2020, a jury found 34-year-old Mason Binion guilty of first-degree murder while armed in the shooting of 21-year-old Michael Francis Taylor on the 600 block of Farragut Street, NW on June 22, 2008.

Defense attorney Kevin Irving filed the motion last month. He says that Binion asked him to withdraw and then refused to continue speaking with him.

Binion is currently being held at DC Jail as he waits to be sentenced. He wishes to exercise his right to be sentenced in person, rather than via video conference. A date for this has yet to be set.

Binion’s next hearing is scheduled for April 8.

Victor Carvajal was also charged with first-degree murder while armed in connection with the homicide, but his case was dismissed the day before opening statements.

Joshua Massaquoi pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, carrying a pistol during a crime of violence and accessory to second-degree murder.

Massaquoi was released to home confinement with a GPS monitoring device on March 24, 2020.

In February, a judge removed the device stipulation, but said a Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency officer (CSOSA) could decide to make the defendant wear the device.

Massaquoi is scheduled for another hearing on April 29.

Andrea Keckley wrote this article.