Judge Holds Homicide Defendant Following Probable Cause Ruling

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A DC Superior Court judge decided to continue holding a homicide defendant at DC Jail following an earlier ruling that the case against him has enough evidence to go to trial.

James Lewis, 43, is charged with second-degree murder while armed for allegedly stabbing 30-year-old Brenea Franklin to death on the 1100 block of Bellevue Street, SE, on Jan. 31, 2021. According to court documents, Metropolitan Police Department officers found Franklin on a sidewalk with an approximately two-inch deep stab wound on the right side of her neck.

Judge Neal Kravitz found probable cause when the preliminary hearing began on Aug. 2, D.C. Witness previously reported.

When proceedings picked back up on Aug. 9, the prosecution argued that Lewis should remain held due to the particularly disturbing details of the homicide. The prosecution also said he currently has other violent criminal charges pending.

Defense attorney Bernadette Armand, however, asked Judge Kravitz to release her client into the High Intensity Supervision Program.

Judge Kravitz decided to continue holding Lewis. The defendant is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 5 for a felony status conference.