During an Aug. 5 hearing, DC Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt allowed a defendant accused of killing her 16-month-old child to be taken off GPS monitoring while on pretrial release.
Faneshia Scott is charged with two counts first-degree murder for a heinous crime where the victim was especially vulnerable due to age or physical infimity and 7 counts of first-degree cruelty to children for her alleged role in the death of her 16-month-old daughter, Rhythm Fields, on the 6400 Block of C Street, SE in 2017.
Scott was initially released under the high intensity supervision program (HISP) on Feb. 22, 2019.
During the Friday hearing, defense attorney Steven Kiersh requested for the defendant to be removed from the program and have her 24-hour GPS ankle monitor removed.
Judge Brandt granted the defense’s request as there was no opposition from the prosecution, but Scott must still stay away and not initiate contact with her two other children unless the children or their caretaker initiates contact first.
Scott is currently scheduled to stand trial on June 17, 2024. The defense and the prosecution made representations that the trial would last at least 2 months because of each party having more than 10 expert witnesses.
The next hearing is scheduled for Jan. 23, 2023.
